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Robert M Larson Elementary School

Public Grades 1-5

1201^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Robert M Larson Elementary School in Harrison, MI, serves 582 students in 1st through 5th grade and is part of the Harrison Community Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 21st percentile of districts statewide. The school has consistently received a 1-star rating over the past five years, placing it in the bottom 20-24th percentile of Michigan elementary schools. Over 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch programs, reflecting significant socioeconomic challenges in the community.

One of the most concerning trends is the dramatic decline in math proficiency as students advance through grade levels. While 3rd-grade math proficiency (35.3%) is relatively close to the state average (42.9%), proficiency plummets to just 12% in both 4th and 5th grades—a gap of over 20 percentage points compared to state averages. This suggests that math instruction may not be effectively building on early-elementary foundations. Additionally, the school's performance with special education students has dropped sharply, falling from the 32nd percentile in 2024-2025 to the 8th percentile in the most recent data. Chronic absenteeism also remains a concern at 30.8%, higher than the state average of 27.9%, though it has improved slightly from the previous year.

What makes these challenges particularly striking is that Robert M Larson spends $17,364 per student—significantly more than several higher-performing nearby schools. For example, Beaverton Elementary School spends $14,525 per student and Gladwin Intermediate School spends $13,446 per student, yet both outperform Robert M Larson in overall rankings and most subject areas. The most compelling comparison is with Marion Elementary School, just 18 miles away, which serves a similarly high percentage of low-income students (76.76%) yet ranks in the 69th percentile and achieves 37% proficiency in 5th-grade math compared to Larson's 12%. Even Collins Elementary School in Houghton Lake, with similar demographics and absenteeism rates, ranks in the 37th percentile. These comparisons demonstrate that improvement is achievable with targeted interventions, and the relative strength of Larson's 3rd-grade program suggests a foundation that could be built upon in upper grades.

582

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,364

Per pupil spending ?

83.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

455 W Spruce St
Harrison, MI 48625-8159

(989) 539-3259

District: Harrison Community Schools

Students who attend Robert M Larson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Harrison Middle School
High:	Harrison Community High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.3%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Hispanic:

2.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Robert M Larson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2022 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2022

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (20% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg20%

Michigan avg38%

1,201^st of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 8 pts since 2022

From bottom 12% (2022) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

495^th of 625Harrison Community Schools 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	18.6	1201 of 1492	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	1132 of 1488	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	1175 of 1486	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	1265 of 1470	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	1189 of 1344	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	1234 of 1343	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	1164 of 1338	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	1164 of 1342	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	1190 of 1321	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.3	1038 of 1106	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	20.9	1117 of 1352	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.1	980 of 1346	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.3	1040 of 1381	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.7	1129 of 1350	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	984 of 1099	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.9	1051 of 1372	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.5	1044 of 1366	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	1097 of 1347	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.4	1241 of 1334	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.4	1060 of 1139	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.7	226 of 246	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	35.2	172 of 252	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	168 of 225	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	8.9	1146 of 1199	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.4	1140 of 1206	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	1138 of 1204	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.9	1168 of 1198	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.0	1088 of 1102	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2026)23rd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science25%-15 vs state

English Language Arts23%-18 vs state

Math20%-19 vs state

Social Studies9%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Robert M Larson 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
Robert M Larson Elementary School	Public	1-5	455 W Spruce St	Harrison	48625	Clare County	Harrison Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 539-3259	582	36	15.9	83.2%	543 (93.3%)	3 (0.5%)	14 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.4%)	18.6	1201^st of 1492 public elementary schools	19.5%		21.5	1132^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	23.9%	69	29.4	20.4	20.0		35.3	12.0	12.0		25.0	9.1	$17,364	$4,287	$13,076
Hillside Elementary School	Public	PK-K	201 N 4th St	Harrison	48625	Clare County	Harrison Community Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(989) 741-8193	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Farwell Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-3	268 E Ohio St	Farwell	48622	Clare County	Farwell Area Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 588-9916	336	22	15.0	81.5%	306 (91.1%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.8%)								(n/a)	14.1				23.1						$15,837	$1,307	$14,530
Clare Primary School	Public	PK, KG-4	205 E Wheaton Ave	Clare	48617	Clare County	Clare Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 386-3438	557	35	16.0	54.8%	501 (89.9%)	3 (0.5%)	26 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	39.9	862^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	42.2%		48.6	744^th of 1488 public elementary schools	50.0%	118	24.5	36.4			42.9	36.4					$14,927	$1,071	$13,856
Gladwin Intermediate School	Public	3-5	780 W 1st St	Gladwin	48624	Gladwin County	Gladwin Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 426-4531	386	21	18.6	56.2%	348 (90.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.5%)	34.2	939^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.1%		33.8	958^th of 1488 public elementary schools	35.6%	19	32.3	27.6	33.3		40.0	30.4	24.6		33.3	19.8	$13,446	$1,947	$11,500
Gladwin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	600 W 1st St	Gladwin	48624	Gladwin County	Gladwin Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 426-7771	401	26	15.5	57.4%	382 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.7%)								(n/a)											$14,749	$2,101	$12,648
Marion Elementary School	Public	K-5	510 W Main St	Marion	49665	Osceola County	Marion Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 743-6251	185	14	13.2	76.8%	171 (92.4%)	2 (1.1%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	4 (2.2%)	66.7	461^st of 1492 public elementary schools	69.1%		44.6	798^th of 1488 public elementary schools	46.4%	337	45.2	37.9	55.6		77.4	27.6	37.0		55.6	44.4	$18,177	$2,213	$15,964
Beaverton Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	440 S Ross St	Beaverton	48612	Gladwin County	Beaverton Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 246-3020	411	27	15.2	56.9%	377 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.4%)	38.1	889^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.4%		36.2	916^th of 1488 public elementary schools	38.4%	27	22.2	21.0	31.9		38.9	30.9	30.4		43.5	33.3	$14,525	$3,017	$11,508
Collins Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4451 W Houghton Lake Dr	Houghton Lake	48629	Roscommon County	Houghton Lake Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 366-2030	489	32	15.2	84.0%	431 (88.1%)	4 (0.8%)	25 (5.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.1%)	34.2	937^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.2%		28.4	1035^th of 1488 public elementary schools	30.4%	98	26.7	29.6	35.8	49.4	30.0	23.5	7.5	33.8	17.9	1473.7	$16,492	$3,076	$13,417

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert M Larson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Robert M Larson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Robert M Larson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Harrison Middle School
High : Harrison Community High School

Is Robert M Larson Elementary School a good school?

Robert M Larson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 19.5% of Michigan elementary schools.

What district is Robert M Larson Elementary School in?

Harrison Community Schools

How many students attend Robert M Larson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 582 students attended Robert M Larson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Robert M Larson Elementary School?

Students at Robert M Larson Elementary School are 93% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Rate Robert M Larson Elementary School!

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Schools in Harrison, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 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.