Clinton Upper Elementary

Clinton Upper Elementary in Clinton, MI, serves grades K-5 and is part of the Clinton Community Schools district, though the school appears to be in a transitional phase with enrollment data still being finalized.

For the 2025-2026 school year, Clinton Upper Elementary earned a 2-star rating and ranked in the 47th percentile statewide, placing it solidly in the middle of Michigan schools. The most striking finding is the dramatic difference in math performance between grade levels. In 4th grade, 45% of students are proficient in math—well above the state average of 39.4% and nearly 20 percentage points higher than nearby Alexander Elementary School in Adrian. However, by 5th grade, proficiency plummets to just 21.5%, far below the state average of 32.2%. This 23.5-point drop is much steeper than what other schools typically experience, suggesting a potential challenge in how math concepts are introduced or supported as students advance. When compared to schools with similar demographics, Clinton Upper Elementary actually holds its own—it outperforms Alexander Elementary in 4th-grade math and matches it in 5th-grade reading, indicating the school is doing a relatively good job for its student population despite the lower overall state ranking.

Looking at student groups, the school serves its female students and those from low socio-economic backgrounds more effectively than its male students, though the reasons for these differences aren't clear from the data alone. It's also worth noting that the school's overall ranking is lower than its district's ranking, which suggests other schools in Clinton Community Schools may be performing at higher levels. The data also hints at a recent reorganization with Clinton Elementary School, located just 0.1 miles away, which makes historical comparisons difficult. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school shows real strength in early math but would benefit from targeted support to help students maintain those gains through 5th grade.