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Cherry Knoll Elementary School

Q: Is Cherry Knoll Elementary School a good school?

Cherry Knoll Elementary School ranks 607 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

607^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Cherry Knoll Elementary School in Traverse City, MI, is a mid-sized public school serving 333 students in grades PK-5 as part of the highly-rated Traverse City Area Public Schools district.

Cherry Knoll is a dependable, middle-of-the-pack school within a strong district, earning a consistent 3-star rating and ranking near the 59th percentile statewide. Its most remarkable strength is the exceptional academic performance of its Special Education students, who ranked in the 91st percentile statewide—a 5-star achievement that far exceeds most schools in Michigan. The school also shines in 5th-grade English Language Arts, where 60.8% of students are proficient, well above the state average of 43.8%. Additionally, Cherry Knoll has made impressive strides in reducing chronic absenteeism, dropping from 25.5% to 17.6% over the past few years—now below both district and state averages. However, the school has a persistent weakness in 4th-grade math, with only 28% of students proficient, significantly trailing the district (37.4%) and state (39.4%) averages. This isn't a one-year blip; proficiency has hovered in the high-20s to low-40s for several years, suggesting a systemic challenge at that grade level.

When compared to nearby schools, Cherry Knoll sits between high-achieving peers like Courtade Elementary School (83rd percentile) and lower-performing ones like Blair Elementary School (22nd percentile). Interestingly, Courtade serves a nearly identical demographic profile (28.8% free/reduced lunch vs. 29.7% at Cherry Knoll) yet outperforms Cherry Knoll in nearly every subject and grade—suggesting the gap isn't about poverty but about instructional practices or programs. Parents should also note the "grade-level rollercoaster" pattern: 3rd-grade math proficiency is 45.6%, drops to 28% in 4th grade, then recovers to 37.3% in 5th grade. This suggests the transition into 4th grade may be particularly challenging. For parents considering Cherry Knoll, the school offers a safe, improving climate with standout support for Special Education students, but those concerned about math achievement may want to ask how the school plans to address the 4th-grade slump.

333

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,049

Per pupil spending ?

29.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

1800 3 Mile Rd N
Traverse City, MI 49696

(231) 933-8940

District: Traverse City Area Public Schools

Students who attend Cherry Knoll Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East Middle School
High:	Central High School
	Traverse City High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.7%

Hispanic:

4.5%

African American:

4.2%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Cherry Knoll Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 60th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg47%

Michigan avg38%

607^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools

146^th of 625Traverse City Area Public Schools 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
2026	56.3	607 of 1492	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.3	624 of 1488	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	667 of 1486	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.5	696 of 1470	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	610 of 1344	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.8	642 of 1153	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.8	621 of 1408	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.6	500 of 1448	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.0	702 of 1466	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.1	621 of 1548	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.0	679 of 1580	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.8	679 of 1533	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.7	581 of 1563	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	41.3	1038 of 1566	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.3	914 of 1552	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.7	949 of 1552	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.9	783 of 1589	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.6	623 of 1577	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.2	841 of 1565	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	59.1	752 of 1545	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	569 of 1343	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	438 of 1338	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.3	587 of 1342	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.1	679 of 1321	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	536 of 1106	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.9	517 of 902	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.0	650 of 1171	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.5	595 of 1443	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	465 of 1352	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.2	601 of 1346	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.7	586 of 1381	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.3	747 of 1350	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.0	302 of 1099	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	57.7	260 of 749	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	153 of 1134	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	305 of 1397	78.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	663 of 1372	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.4	787 of 1366	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.1	731 of 1347	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.6	618 of 1334	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.0	569 of 1139	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.0	525 of 915	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.2	342 of 1196	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	68.5	436 of 1446	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	82.5	21 of 246	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	68.3	51 of 225	77.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	703 of 1199	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.4	643 of 1206	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	666 of 1204	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	737 of 1198	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.5	659 of 1102	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	646 of 1005	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.1	622 of 1128	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.1	541 of 1253	56.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)91st percentile+32 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)58th percentile~ school

Male (2026)52nd percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%+9 vs state

Science41%~ state avg

Math37%~ state avg

Social Studies26%~ state avg

4.3

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, December 11, 2011

My child only went to Cherry Knoll for awhile. I feel that people should be told that if your child is NOT the cookie cutter kid then you will have a hard time finding a school in this district that will help your child..Although if you want to send your child to a school that looks and feels like a prison (new campus)then you have made the right move by coming to Traverse City. the district thinks that new campus school is a great place to send kids who are different. I took a tour of this school I would not even want to go to that school let alone send my child to it..The public schools do not know how to help children who need that extra help but they know how to say the right words to get the money and then later after your child has been there for a bit they will hold a meeting saying that they are there to help after awhile if you do not agree with them they will start to make things up. and all you end up with is the same thing over and over again about all the wrong things your child is doing..so then your child ends up at this other school. Another question is that the schools gets $23,850 per child with needs from the state of Michigan, WHERE DOES THIS MONEY GO??? My child never got the right help needed and they never spent the money to help.. Do NOT move here if your child has needs STAY AWAY from Traverse City all together if you can. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Great learning atmosphere. Excellant staff. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Brand new building with all the latest features for learning. Very expereince and dedicated teaching staff. Active PTO Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Cherry Knoll is a wonderful Traverse City Area Public School. From the caring staff, knowledgeable teachers, and active families, our school is fabulous. The students are challenged to reach high educational goals and they learn from the best. There are many extracurricular activities and sports offered. The PTO encourages family and community involvement by providing several fun activities throughout the year. They also fund 100% of the field trips throughout the year. GO WILDCATS! Close Quote

Schools Near Cherry Knoll Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cherry Knoll Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49696	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-8940	333	22	15.0	29.7%	282 (84.7%)	14 (4.2%)	15 (4.5%)	5 (1.5%)	14 (4.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	56.3	607^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.3%		56.3	624^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.1%	17			47.4	42.0	60.8			45.6	28.0	37.3			41.2		25.5		$15,049	$1,110	$13,940
Courtade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 Rasho Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5800	215	15	14.2	28.8%	188 (87.4%)	9 (4.2%)	6 (2.8%)	5 (2.3%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.2	259^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		75.6	328^th of 1488 public elementary schools	78.0%	69			70.8	50.0	59.0			69.6	37.5	61.5			61.5		35.9		$17,823	$1,206	$16,616
Traverse Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	933 Rose St	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-3500	245	18	13.2	73.1%	148 (60.4%)	22 (9.0%)	36 (14.7%)	4 (1.6%)	32 (13.1%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32.4	965^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.3%		19.8	1162^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	21.9%	197			27.9	29.4	50.0			15.6	1374.9	18.8			40.0		1475.7		$19,376	$2,201	$17,175
Eastern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Eastern Ave	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5600	475	26	18.5	20.2%	428 (90.1%)	10 (2.1%)	11 (2.3%)	19 (4.0%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65.5	483^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	67.6%		73.8	354^th of 1488 public elementary schools	76.2%	129			70.4	57.5	50.0			76.1	41.3	25.0			39.5		28.9		$14,502	$731	$13,770
Central Grade School	Public	PK, KG-7	301 W Seventh St	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5910	510	30	17.0	42.4%	426 (83.5%)	17 (3.3%)	26 (5.1%)	24 (4.7%)	13 (2.5%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	82.9	231^st of 1492 public elementary schools	84.5%		81.8	248^th of 1488 public elementary schools	83.3%	17			49.3	61.0	69.6			45.7	43.8	62.8			66.1		53.6		$15,714	$1,254	$14,461
TCAPS Montessori School	Public	PK, KG-8	4053 Franke Rd	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6420	331	20	16.4	17.5%	302 (91.2%)	11 (3.3%)	7 (2.1%)	5 (1.5%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	81.7	241^st of 1492 public elementary schools	83.8%		85.5	199^th of 1488 public elementary schools	86.6%	42	506.7	529.2	60.4	57.5	68.3	74.1	76.7	54.2	50.0	43.9	85.2	76.7	58.5	66.7	36.6	1815.8	$16,808	$717	$16,092
Willow Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1250 Hill St	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-8540	429	23	18.3	14.0%	406 (94.6%)	5 (1.2%)	9 (2.1%)	3 (0.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78	287^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.8%		79.8	273^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	81.7%	14			48.7	59.3	67.5			56.6	54.2	42.5			51.3		42.5		$13,949	$717	$13,232
Woodland School	Public, Charter	K-8	7224 Supply Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Woodland School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 947-7474	209	13	15.9	22.0%	200 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	75.7	328^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.0%		63.3	521^st of 1488 public elementary schools	65.0%	193	88.0	52.0	52.2	62.5	36.0	47.4	45.5	65.2	52.2	56.0	55.6	54.5	68.0	72.0	28.0	62.5	$10,511	$299	$10,212
Blair Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1625 Sawyer Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5700	202	18	11.2	63.9%	168 (83.2%)	5 (2.5%)	16 (7.9%)	3 (1.5%)	9 (4.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	1165^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.9%		25.1	1077^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.6%	88			23.5	12.9	26.9			32.4	19.4	15.4			30.8		1472.0		$20,986	$1,971	$19,015
Silver Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5858 Culver Rd	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-3580	286	18	15.9	37.8%	265 (92.7%)	4 (1.4%)	9 (3.1%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.8	867^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.9%		50.3	711^th of 1488 public elementary schools	52.2%	156			37.1	29.4	48.5			34.3	19.6	39.4			39.4		21.2		$15,944	$1,288	$14,656

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherry Knoll Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Cherry Knoll Elementary School?

Students at Cherry Knoll Elementary School are 85% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% American Indian, 2% Asian.

What district is Cherry Knoll Elementary School in?

Traverse City Area Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Cherry Knoll Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cherry Knoll Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Middle School
High : Central High School
High : Traverse City High School

Is Cherry Knoll Elementary School a good school?

Cherry Knoll Elementary School ranks 607^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cherry Knoll Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 333 students attended Cherry Knoll Elementary School.

Rate Cherry Knoll Elementary School!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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.