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Palms Elementary School

Q: Is Palms Elementary School a good school?

Palms Elementary School ranks 297 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

297^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Palms Elementary School in Ira, MI, is a small, welcoming school serving 245 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the highly-rated East China School District.

Palms Elementary is a true success story, showing remarkable academic growth over the past few years. The school has jumped from a 3-star to a 4-star rating and now ranks in the 80th percentile statewide, up from the 62nd percentile just two years ago. This improvement is especially visible in English Language Arts, where 4th-grade proficiency rates have soared to 64.3%—nearly 10 points above the district average and 23 points above the state average. The school also shines in science and social studies, with 5th-grade scores well ahead of both district and state benchmarks. Perhaps most encouraging, Palms has made dramatic strides in supporting its students from lower-income households, jumping from the 36th to the 73rd percentile in just one year. While the school performs strongly overall, there is a notable gap between female students (84th percentile) and male students (68th percentile), which may be an area of focus for school leadership.

When compared to nearby schools, Palms stands out in several ways. It has rapidly closed the gap with its high-achieving district peer, Pine River Elementary School, and now actually surpasses it in 4th-grade ELA and math scores. The contrast with Francois Maconce Elementary School, just 3.2 miles away in the Anchor Bay School District, is striking—Palms' 3rd and 4th-grade ELA proficiency rates are nearly double those of Francois Maconce. Palms also achieves these results efficiently, spending less per student ($13,033) than many neighboring schools. One ongoing challenge is chronic absenteeism, which has improved dramatically from 37.2% post-pandemic to 15.7%, but still remains higher than Pine River's 12.2%. Overall, Palms Elementary offers a cost-effective, rapidly improving education in a supportive community setting.

245

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,033

Per pupil spending ?

26.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6101 Palms Rd
Ira, MI 48023-1510

(810) 676-1350

District: East China School District

Students who attend Palms Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Marine City Middle School
High:	Marine City High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.0%

Two or more races:

1.6%

Hispanic:

0.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Palms Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 47th percentile in 2021 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (53% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Michigan elementary schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 80th (2026) from a 47th-percentile low (2021)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg49%

Michigan avg38%

297^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 14% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Elementary Schools in the East China School District

160^th of 625East China School District among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	297 of 1492	80.1%	★★★★☆
2025	68.2	440 of 1488	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	59.1	565 of 1486	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.6	554 of 1470	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	527 of 1344	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.6	609 of 1153	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	590 of 1408	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.8	379 of 1448	73.8%	★★★★☆
2017	81.0	202 of 1466	86.2%	★★★★☆
2016	81.8	221 of 1548	85.7%	★★★★☆
2015	82.5	221 of 1580	86.0%	★★★★☆
2014	86.1	145 of 1533	90.5%	★★★★★
2013	80.2	251 of 1563	83.9%	★★★★☆
2012	83.9	184 of 1566	88.3%	★★★★☆
2011	80.0	189 of 1552	87.8%	★★★★☆
2010	70.6	502 of 1552	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	56.3	895 of 1589	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	69.5	515 of 1577	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.5	670 of 1565	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.8	445 of 1545	71.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	79.5	216 of 1343	83.9%	★★★★☆
2025	74.9	274 of 1338	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	54.6	549 of 1342	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	426 of 1321	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	435 of 1106	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.7	598 of 902	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.6	370 of 1171	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.6	392 of 1443	72.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	65.9	364 of 1352	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	35.5	868 of 1346	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.4	494 of 1381	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	471 of 1350	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	356 of 1397	74.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	440 of 1372	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	687 of 1366	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	586 of 1347	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	627 of 1334	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.7	240 of 915	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	42.7	687 of 1196	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	76.6	312 of 1446	78.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	65.8	371 of 1199	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.8	540 of 1206	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	651 of 1204	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.2	619 of 1198	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.9	608 of 1102	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.7	665 of 1005	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	632 of 1128	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.6	456 of 1253	63.6%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)84th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science59%+19 vs state

English Language Arts57%+16 vs state

Math51%+13 vs state

Social Studies41%+14 vs state

5.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, December 4, 2019

We are school of choice and found this GEM of a school when looking for our son to start Kindergarten. The teachers have all been here for decades and they are Wonderful Amazing Kind Loving Teachers....All of them! The staff is fantastic! The parents are involved. It’s one big family and the students are thriving because of it! There is no better choice then Palms Elementary school! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, December 4, 2019

I enrolled in school of choice to attend Palms and I'm so happy I did. My daughter flourishes there and never feels overwhelmed. It's such a family oriented school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Palms is more than a school to our family. It's an extension of our home, that cares for my son and his education as much as we do. The staff, environment, and the education are exceptional. Best decision we could have made. Close Quote

Schools Near Palms Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palms Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6101 Palms Rd	Ira	48023	St. Clair County	East China School District	No	Yes	No	No	(810) 676-1350	245	15	16.1	26.5%	240 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	77.5	297^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.1%		68.2	440^th of 1488 public elementary schools	70.4%	143	50.0	64.3	55.9		61.4	50.0	38.2		58.8	41.2	$13,033	$610	$12,423
Francois Maconce Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6300 Church Rd	Ira	48023	St. Clair County	Anchor Bay School District	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 725-0284	319	23	13.9	64.6%	253 (79.3%)	7 (2.2%)	27 (8.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.8%)	31.4	981^st of 1492 public elementary schools	34.2%		44.4	802^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	46.1%	179	30.1	37.3			26.4	28.8					$15,714	$2,089	$13,625
Ashley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	52347 Ashley St	New Baltimore	48047	Macomb County	Anchor Bay School District	No	No	No	No	(586) 725-2801	441	26	16.6	20.4%	390 (88.4%)	11 (2.5%)	21 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)	66.4	467^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.7%		83.8	222^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	85.1%	245	49.3	46.8			50.7	46.8					$15,892	$1,192	$14,700
Belle River Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1601 Chartier Rd	Marine City	48039	St. Clair County	East China School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(810) 676-1150	343	24	14.3	53.1%	323 (94.2%)	5 (1.5%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	67.6	440^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.5%		59.9	560^th of 1488 public elementary schools	62.4%	120	37.1	41.3	64.8		50.0	36.5	61.1		59.3	38.9	$13,401	$1,918	$11,483
Lighthouse Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	51880 Washington St	New Baltimore	48047	Macomb County	Anchor Bay School District	No	No	No	No	(586) 725-6404	441	26	17.1	26.5%	394 (89.3%)	7 (1.6%)	11 (2.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.4%)	49.3	706^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.7%		70	410^th of 1488 public elementary schools	72.4%	296	38.0	42.3			42.3	36.6					$15,019	$1,171	$13,848
Algonquin Elementary School	Public, Magnet	2-6	9185 Marsh Rd	Clay	48001	St. Clair County	Algonac Community School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(810) 794-9317	445	30	15.0	56.6%	425 (95.5%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	48.5	720^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.7%		62	535^th of 1488 public elementary schools	64.0%	185	34.5	41.2	54.5	38.3	45.2	36.5	24.8	23.5	39.6	24.8	$13,858	$1,134	$12,724
Millside Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-1	1904 Mill St	Clay	48001	St. Clair County	Algonac Community School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(810) 794-8880	179	12	14.8	61.5%	172 (96.1%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)											$17,186	$1,319	$15,867
Great Oaks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	32900 24 Mile Rd	Chesterfield	48047	Macomb County	Anchor Bay School District	No	No	No	No	(586) 725-2038	468	26	18.1	18.2%	417 (89.1%)	19 (4.1%)	11 (2.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	81.3	247^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.4%		85.3	202^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	86.4%	45	52.9	59.6			55.1	61.8					$14,084	$1,286	$12,798
New Haven Elementary School	Public	K-4	57701 River Oaks Dr	New Haven	48048	Macomb County	New Haven Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 749-8360	458	25	18.4	62.2%	300 (65.5%)	77 (16.8%)	18 (3.9%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (12.2%)	28.6	1023^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	31.4%		26.1	1062^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	28.6%	39	31.6	32.9			22.4	28.2					$16,961	$1,147	$15,813
Pine River Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	3575 King Rd	China	48054	St. Clair County	East China School District	No	Yes	No	No	(810) 676-1050	335	22	15.1	28.4%	313 (93.4%)	3 (0.9%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	81.1	250^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.2%		84.6	211^th of 1488 public elementary schools	85.8%	39	67.3	61.3	66.7		58.2	47.5	42.0		59.4	43.5	$14,039	$628	$13,411

Frequently Asked Questions about Palms Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Palms Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Palms Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Marine City Middle School
High : Marine City High School

Is Palms Elementary School a good school?

Palms Elementary School ranks 297^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Palms Elementary School?

Students at Palms Elementary School are 98% White, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Palms Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Palms Elementary School.

What district is Palms Elementary School in?

East China School District

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Schools in Ira, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.