Memorial Elementary School

Memorial Elementary School in Riverview, MI, serves 435 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Riverview Community School District, where it is the largest of three elementary schools. The school has earned a 2-star rating, placing it in the lower half of Michigan elementary schools, with a student body where over half (55.4%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

One of the most notable findings is a significant drop in math proficiency as students advance. While 3rd-grade math proficiency sits at 37.7% (close to the state average), it plummets to just 11.5% in 4th grade and 21.7% in 5th grade. This decline is far more dramatic than at nearby schools—for example, Huntington Elementary School boasts 48.1% proficiency in 4th-grade math, and Forest Elementary School reaches 42%. In contrast, literacy skills show steady growth, with ELA proficiency rising from 28.6% in 3rd grade to 43.3% in 5th grade. The school also demonstrates a notable strength with its Hispanic students, who rank in the 77th percentile statewide (a 4-star rating), while its White students rank in the 16th percentile—a striking disparity that sets Memorial apart from its district peers.

Chronic absenteeism at Memorial is 23.7%, which is better than the state average of 27.9% but higher than its district counterparts (Huntington at 22.2% and Forest at just 13.3%). The school has shown improvement here, dropping from a high of 38.5% in 2021-2022. When compared to Jesse L Anderson Elementary School in the neighboring Trenton Public Schools—which ranks in the 77th percentile with only 6.8% chronic absenteeism and 28.4% free/reduced lunch—it becomes clear that Memorial faces greater economic challenges. Still, the school's success with Hispanic students and improving attendance trends offer promising signs for families considering this school.