MioAuSable Elementary School

MioAuSable Elementary School in Mio, MI, serves 234 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the small, rural community of Oscoda County, operating within the Mio-AuSable Schools district.

For parents, the most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism. In the 2024-2025 school year, 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days—significantly higher than the state average of 27.9%. This pattern has persisted for years and likely contributes to the school's academic struggles. While 3rd graders score relatively close to state averages in reading (32.5% proficient vs. 38.2% statewide), performance drops sharply by 5th grade, where only 25% meet reading benchmarks and just 8.33% are proficient in math—a staggering 24-point gap from the state average. Social studies scores are similarly low at 8.33% proficiency. The school spends $15,547 per student and maintains a favorable 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio, suggesting resources aren't the primary issue.

Looking at nearby schools offers useful perspective. Rose City School, just 16 miles away, serves a more economically disadvantaged population (82.5% free/reduced lunch vs. 61.5% at MioAuSable) yet achieves dramatically better 3rd grade results—70.6% reading proficiency and 82.35% math proficiency. However, Rose City spends significantly more per student ($23,256) and its advantage fades by 4th grade. Lewiston Elementary School, about 18 miles away, shows a different pattern: its 5th graders outperform MioAuSable's in both reading (42.3% vs. 25%) and math (26.9% vs. 8.33%), while its 3rd graders lag behind. These comparisons suggest MioAuSable's challenges aren't inevitable—nearby schools with similar demographics are finding success, particularly in early grades. The school's stable but low rankings over recent years indicate that without targeted interventions in attendance and upper-grade math instruction, improvement may remain elusive.