William G Mather Elementary School

William G Mather Elementary School in Munising, MI, serves 253 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Munising Public Schools district, which holds a 3-star rating statewide.

Mather Elementary shows a mixed but interesting performance picture. The school has demonstrated a strong post-pandemic recovery, cutting its chronic absenteeism rate from over 35% during the 2021-2022 school year down to around 20% recently—significantly better than the state average of 27.9%. Academically, the school shines in science, with 59.4% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state's 40.3%. However, there's a concerning decline in upper elementary: 5th-grade ELA proficiency dropped sharply from 67.7% in 2023-2024 to 43.6% in 2025-2026, even as 3rd and 4th graders perform at or above state averages. The school also shows a notable gender gap in the most recent year, with boys ranking in the 58th percentile while girls rank in the 34th percentile—a reversal from two years prior when girls outperformed boys.

Compared to nearby AuTrainOnota Public School, Mather delivers stronger academic results despite spending far less per student ($18,030 vs. $49,172). Mather's 5th-grade math proficiency (25%) is more than double AuTrainOnota's (10%), and its science scores are nearly 20 points higher. One standout strength is special education: Mather's special education students ranked in the 65th percentile statewide in 2025-2026, and as high as the 87th percentile in 2022-2023—a clear sign that targeted support systems are working well. While the school's overall rating hovers around 2-3 stars, parents should know that Mather offers a robust science program, effective special education services, and a student-teacher ratio of 15:1 that balances personalized attention with efficient resource use.