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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 48161

At a glance

Schools

769

Students

Top rankedWaterloo Elementary School1056^th of 1,492 Michigan elementary schools

✦

Newly ranked this year

Waterloo Elementary School

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Summary:

Zip code 48161 is home to just one elementary school, Custer Elementary School, part of the Monroe Public Schools district, serving grades PK through 4 with a substantial enrollment of 769 students in a predominantly low-income area.

For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Custer Elementary faces significant challenges. The school has a 74.25% free/reduced lunch rate and a 31.3% chronic absenteeism rate, both higher than state averages. Academically, proficiency rates are well below state benchmarks across all subjects. In the most recent testing, 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency was 24.8% and 4th-grade math proficiency was a stark 9.7%, compared to state averages roughly 15-30 points higher. The school's state ranking has slipped each year, from the 17th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 15th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the school spends a substantial $17,748 per student—likely reflecting the high costs of supporting a needy population—this investment has not translated into test scores near state averages. The student-teacher ratio is 16.4:1, which is relatively reasonable, but the combination of poverty and absenteeism appears to heavily impact learning outcomes.

One particularly concerning trend is the deepening math deficit. Fourth-grade math proficiency dropped from 11.7% to 9.7% year-over-year, indicating a potential crisis in mathematics as students advance. However, there is a relative bright spot: ELA scores, while still low, are closer to district averages than math scores, suggesting reading instruction may be a comparative strength. The data paints a clear picture of a school grappling with socioeconomic hurdles, where high spending and dedicated resources have not yet overcome the barriers of poverty and chronic absenteeism. Parents should be aware that while the school is investing heavily per student, academic outcomes remain far below state averages, and the trajectory is currently declining.

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)		M-Step Math (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5003 W Albain Rd	Monroe	48161	Monroe County	Monroe Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 265-4300	769	47	16.4	74.3%	581 (75.6%)	67 (8.7%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	106 (13.8%)	15.4	1266^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.1%		15.9	1246^th of 1488 public elementary schools	16.3%	20	24.8	21.5	20.5	9.7	90.4%	4.4%	$17,748	$1,568	$16,180
Waterloo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1933 S Custer Rd	Monroe	48161	Monroe County	Monroe Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 265-5100	0	0	17.2	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	26.8	1056^th of 1492 public elementary schools	29.2%					(n/a)	22.7	37.0	22.7	25.9	82.9%	11.4%

Cities Near Zip Code 48161

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Monroe	0.98 mi	17	368^th
Ida	5.04 mi	3	93^rd
Erie	6.71 mi	4	124^th
Newport	8.79 mi	3	345^th
Carleton	10.1 mi	6	215^th

See the top MI Michigan cities

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.