Sault Area Elementary School

Sault Area Elementary School in Sault Sainte Marie, MI, serves 342 students from Pre-K through 7th grade within the Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools district, a mid-sized school where over half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

One of the most striking findings is that this school performs like two different schools under one roof. Fifth graders are thriving, with 50.5% proficiency in English Language Arts—well above the state average of 43.8%—and they also outpace state averages in Science (54.4% vs. 40%) and Social Studies (38.8% vs. 27.5%). However, 3rd and 4th graders are struggling significantly, with 3rd-grade ELA at just 20.6% proficiency and 4th-grade Math at 25%, both far below state averages. This isn't a one-year fluke; the pattern held in the prior year as well. What makes it more puzzling is that just two years ago, these same lower grades were performing at or above state levels, suggesting a recent and significant setback in the early elementary program. The school's overall state ranking reflects this mixed picture, sitting at the 46th percentile.

Compared to nearby Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy, just 0.6 miles away, Sault Area Elementary actually posts stronger 5th-grade ELA scores (50.5% vs. 40.9%), despite the Anishnabe Academy spending nearly $7,700 more per student. On the positive side, chronic absenteeism at Sault Area (25.2%) is notably better than the district average (35.9%), and the student-teacher ratio of 13.2 is favorable. However, the school faces real challenges with its most vulnerable students—performance among low-income students has ranked in the bottom third of comparable schools, and results for special education students have dropped dramatically from the 81st percentile to the 29th percentile in recent years. For parents, this means a school with clear strengths in upper elementary, but one where early-grade instruction and support for specific student groups need careful attention.