Blue Star Elementary School

Blue Star Elementary School in Holland, MI, is a small school serving 202 students in grades PK through 4 as part of the highly-rated Hamilton Community Schools district.

Blue Star has historically been a strong performer, but the most recent data shows a significant setback. After earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 76th percentile statewide last year, the school dropped to a 3-star rating and the 56th percentile this year. This decline is driven largely by a sharp drop in 3rd-grade math proficiency, which fell from 53.3% to 32.6% in a single year—well below the state average. The school's overall decline appears to be concentrated among male students, whose performance ranking fell from the 79th to the 41st percentile, while female students remained relatively stable. This is especially puzzling given that chronic absenteeism is a non-issue here—at 12.1%, it's far below the state average of 27.9% and even below the district average. The school also has a strong track record of supporting students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 98th percentile for this group just last year.

Perhaps the most useful comparison for parents is with Hamilton Elementary School, the only other elementary in the same district. Both schools serve a similar student population, yet Hamilton Elementary consistently outperforms Blue Star—for example, 74.6% of its 3rd graders are proficient in math compared to 32.6% at Blue Star. This gap suggests the issue isn't the student body but rather instructional or curricular factors that could be addressed. On a positive note, Blue Star spends less per student ($19,650) than nearby schools like West ($35,805) or Jefferson ($32,660), yet achieves comparable or better results. For parents, Blue Star remains a school with excellent attendance, a proven ability to support disadvantaged learners, and a history of high performance—but the recent decline in math and the widening gap with its district peer warrant attention.