Mary D Mitchell School

Mary D Mitchell School is an elementary school in Ann Arbor, MI, serving 372 students in grades K-5 as part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools district.

Mitchell has held a 1-star rating for five consecutive years, ranking in the bottom quarter of Michigan elementary schools. This is a notable contrast to its district, which ranks in the 90th percentile statewide. The achievement gap with nearby schools is striking. For example, in 5th-grade math, only 17.5% of Mitchell students are proficient, compared to 81.1% at Burns Park Elementary School and 85.5% at Angell School. Even compared to Pattengill School, which serves a similar demographic profile, Mitchell's 5th-grade ELA proficiency (25%) lags far behind Pattengill's 64.9%. Interestingly, Mitchell spends significantly more per student ($26,207) than higher-performing peers like Burns Park ($16,080) or Angell ($15,750), and it maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.2—lower than the 16.6 at Angell. Despite these resources, academic outcomes remain low.

There are some positive signs to note. In 2017-2018, Mitchell ranked in the 47th percentile, and historically, certain student groups have performed well—African American students ranked in the 75th percentile statewide that same year. However, performance dropped sharply around 2019 and has not recovered. Chronic absenteeism (26.5%) is actually below the district average (35.7%), so attendance alone doesn't explain the results. A particularly concerning trend is the sharp drop from 3rd to 4th grade: ELA proficiency falls from 35.5% to 13.3%, and math from 29% to 20%. This suggests a specific challenge in 4th grade that may warrant investigation. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that while Mitchell is part of a highly-rated district, its own performance aligns more closely with schools in neighboring Ypsilanti Community Schools than with its Ann Arbor counterparts.