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Onaway Elementary School

Q: Is Onaway Elementary School a good school?

Onaway Elementary School ranks 1052 nd of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

1052^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Onaway Elementary School is a public magnet elementary school serving grades K-5 in Onaway, Michigan, with 243 students enrolled. The school is part of the Onaway Area Community School District, which is ranked 423 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Onaway Elementary School has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking and rating over the past several years, dropping from a 5-star rating and ranking of 124 out of 1,548 Michigan elementary schools in 2015-2016 to a 1-star rating and ranking of 1,052 out of 1,488 in the most recent school year. The school's performance varies significantly across different student groups, with male and low socioeconomic status students performing relatively better than female and white students. Additionally, Onaway Elementary School has experienced a troubling increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 20.6% in 2023-2024 to 29.5% in the most recent school year, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Onaway Elementary School's academic performance, as measured by M-Step proficiency rates, is consistently below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Interestingly, a comparison to the nearby Inland Lakes Elementary School and Wolverine Elementary School reveals that these schools also struggle with low academic performance and high chronic absenteeism rates, suggesting that the challenges faced by Onaway Elementary School may be reflective of broader regional or district-level issues that require a comprehensive approach to address.

246

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,161

Per pupil spending ?

63.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4549 M 33
Onaway, MI 49765-9623

(989) 733-4900

District: Onaway Area Community School District

Students who attend Onaway Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Onaway Middle School
High:	Onaway Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.9%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Hispanic:

2.0%

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Compare Onaway Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 29th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (26% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg26%

Michigan avg39%

1,052^nd of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 35 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

423^rd of 613Onaway Area Community School District 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
2025	27.2	1052 of 1488	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.1	780 of 1486	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.9	990 of 1470	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	746 of 1344	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.7	710 of 1153	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.4	638 of 1408	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.4	398 of 1448	72.5%	★★★★☆
2017	68.4	376 of 1466	74.4%	★★★★☆
2016	87.9	124 of 1548	92.0%	★★★★★
2015	62.5	570 of 1580	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	76.3	323 of 1533	78.9%	★★★★☆
2013	73.8	365 of 1563	76.6%	★★★★☆
2012	65.9	509 of 1566	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	75.1	341 of 1552	78.0%	★★★★☆
2010	68.8	573 of 1552	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	68.2	571 of 1589	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	70.5	482 of 1577	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.7	900 of 1565	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.7	979 of 1545	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	22.6	1035 of 1338	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.8	621 of 1342	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.4	932 of 1321	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	804 of 1106	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	63.6	383 of 1171	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.2	381 of 1443	73.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	38.5	816 of 1346	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	574 of 1381	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.2	730 of 1350	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.2	397 of 1099	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.6	278 of 749	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	323 of 1134	71.5%	★★★★☆
2018	76.9	214 of 1397	84.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	847 of 1366	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	949 of 1347	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.9	734 of 1334	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.3	511 of 1139	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.7	425 of 915	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	634 of 1196	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.1	453 of 1446	68.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	16.4	1057 of 1206	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.6	838 of 1204	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.3	1013 of 1198	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.0	742 of 1102	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.3	638 of 1005	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.9	575 of 1128	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.1	439 of 1253	65.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)38th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)12th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies31%~ state avg

Math28%-11 vs state

Science26%-14 vs state

English Language Arts23%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Onaway Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)			M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th 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
Onaway Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	4549 M 33	Onaway	49765	Presque Isle County	Onaway Area Community School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 733-4900	246	17	14.9	63.4%	226 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.7%)	27.2	1052^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	29.3%		44.1	780^th of 1486 public elementary schools	47.5%	272	18.4	28.3	21.4	34.2	34.8	14.3	26.2	31.0	$16,161	$2,439	$13,722
Wolverine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5993 W Sholes St	Wolverine	49799	Cheboygan County	Wolverine Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 525-8201	123	9	13.9	75.6%	108 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.5%)	24.8	1084^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.2%		46.2	749^th of 1486 public elementary schools	49.6%	335	20.0	26.1	14.3	30.0	39.1	20.0	33.3	14.3	$16,001	$2,705	$13,296
Inland Lakes Elementary School	Public	K-5	4363 S Straits Hwy	Indian River	49749	Cheboygan County	Inland Lakes Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 238-6868	316	21	14.9	71.2%	283 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.6%)	31	996^th of 1488 public elementary schools	33.1%		40.2	844^th of 1486 public elementary schools	43.2%	152	31.6	30.8	36.7	31.6	23.1	12.2	42.9	20.4	$15,102	$2,150	$12,952

Frequently Asked Questions about Onaway Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Onaway Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Onaway Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Onaway Middle School
High : Onaway Senior High School

How many students attend Onaway Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 246 students attended Onaway Elementary School.

Is Onaway Elementary School a good school?

Onaway Elementary School ranks 1052^nd of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Onaway Elementary School?

Students at Onaway Elementary School are 92% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Onaway Elementary School in?

Onaway Area Community School District

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Schools in Onaway, MI

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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.