Hornung Elementary School

Hornung Elementary School in Brighton, MI, is a high-performing K-4 public school serving 558 students within the Brighton Area Schools district, which ranks in the 96th percentile statewide.

Hornung consistently earns a 5-star rating and ranks in the top 5% of all Michigan elementary schools—80th out of 1,492 in the 2025-2026 school year. Its academic results are exceptional, particularly in 4th grade, where 74.3% of students were proficient in ELA and 79.6% in Math, far exceeding state averages of 41.3% and 39.4%, respectively. The school also stands out for its work with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ranking in the 95th percentile statewide for this subgroup. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 11.3%, less than half the state average of 27.9%. Notably, Hornung achieves these results while spending less per student ($13,402) than nearby Brighton peers like Spencer Road Elementary School and Hawkins Elementary School, which spend between $14,482 and $14,956.

One interesting pattern is that while Hornung's 3rd-grade scores are strong, they aren't always the highest in the district—for example, Hilton Road Elementary School outperformed it in 3rd-grade Math. However, by 4th grade, Hornung's scores surge ahead, suggesting a particularly effective instructional model in that pivotal year. The school has also shown steady improvement in supporting special education students, climbing from the 48th to the 72nd percentile statewide over three years. For parents comparing options, the contrast with nearby Howell Public Schools is stark—Three Fires Elementary, just 3.4 miles away, has a chronic absenteeism rate of 37.2% and proficiency rates in the 30-40% range. While Hornung's statewide rank dipped slightly from 60th to 80th in 2025-2026, it remains an elite, cost-effective choice for families seeking top-tier academics in the Brighton area.