Inland Lakes Elementary School

Inland Lakes Elementary School in Indian River, MI, serves 316 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Inland Lakes Schools district.

Inland Lakes Elementary has shown steady improvement over the past few years, climbing from a 1-star rating during the pandemic to a consistent 2-star rating. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 71.2% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite overall scores below state averages, the school demonstrates a notable strength in supporting its economically disadvantaged students, who rank in the 43rd percentile statewide—higher than the school's overall ranking. Science is a clear bright spot: 48.9% of 5th graders are proficient, which is nearly 9 points above the state average. However, social studies is a critical weakness, with only 6.38% proficiency compared to the state's 27.5%. There is also a growing gender gap, with female students outperforming males in recent testing. Chronic absenteeism remains a major challenge at 24.3%, significantly higher than the district average of 19.7%.

Compared to nearby schools, Inland Lakes faces a stark contrast with higher-performing schools in the Public Schools of Petoskey district, such as Lincoln School and Ottawa Elementary School, where proficiency rates are often double or triple those at Inland Lakes. However, those schools serve far fewer low-income students. A more direct comparison is with Wolverine Elementary School, located just 8.88 miles away with a similarly high-poverty population. Inland Lakes outperforms Wolverine in 5th-grade science (48.9% vs. 32.1%) and shows a more stable overall ranking. The school spends $14,733 per student—less than most nearby districts—and has a higher student-teacher ratio of 14.9, which may contribute to the achievement gap.

In summary, Inland Lakes Elementary is a school making gradual progress despite significant challenges. Its strengths in science and support for low-income students are encouraging, but addressing chronic absenteeism, closing the gender gap, and overhauling social studies instruction are critical priorities for continued improvement.