Ruth H Green Elementary School

Ruth H Green Elementary School in Roseville, MI, serves approximately 440 students in grades PK-5 as part of Roseville Community Schools, where 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Ruth H Green is currently rated 1 star and ranks in the 12th percentile of Michigan elementary schools, with proficiency rates in core subjects running roughly 20-25 percentage points below state averages. The school has shown some encouraging progress—3rd grade reading proficiency has nearly doubled over three years (from 10.7% to 21.1%), and chronic absenteeism has dropped from 56.7% to 45.2%. However, that absenteeism rate remains far above the state average of 27.9%, and 5th grade math proficiency sits at just 10.8%. The school spends $16,491 per student, which is higher than several better-performing nearby schools, raising questions about resource effectiveness.

For parents comparing options, the contrast with Kaiser Elementary—just over a mile away in the same district—is striking. Kaiser serves a nearly identical student population (84.65% free/reduced lunch) yet ranks in the 36th percentile statewide, with 5th grade reading proficiency nearly double Ruth H Green's (40.5% vs. 21.6%) and math proficiency three times higher (32.4% vs. 10.8%). Kaiser also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (39.5%) and a better student-teacher ratio (11.5:1 vs. 14:1). Meanwhile, schools in the nearby Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb) district, such as Princeton Elementary, achieve proficiency rates 2-3 times higher with lower poverty levels and absenteeism rates near 12%. The Kaiser comparison suggests that the challenges at Ruth H Green are not insurmountable—but meaningful improvement will require sustained focus on attendance and targeted academic strategies.