Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48179

Zip code 48179, encompassing the South Rockwood, MI area, is served by a single elementary school, Fred W Ritter Elementary School, which educates students in grades PK through 4 within the Airport Community Schools district.

For parents considering this area, Fred W Ritter Elementary School presents a mixed picture. The school serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with nearly 70% of its 265 students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Academically, the school is struggling, particularly in comparison to state averages. In the most recent testing year, only 19.1% of 3rd graders and 29.6% of 4th graders were proficient in ELA, well below state averages of 38.2% and 41.3%. Math scores are similarly concerning, with 4th-grade proficiency at just 16.7%—less than half the state average of 39.4%. Perhaps most alarming is the significant year-over-year decline in 4th-grade math, which dropped from 30.8% to 16.7% in a single year, suggesting a potential instructional challenge at that grade level. The school's state ranking has also declined steadily over three years, falling from the 34th to the 24th percentile.

Interestingly, the school's struggles do not appear to stem from a lack of resources or student attendance. Fred W Ritter Elementary School spends a relatively high $14,626 per student and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1. Furthermore, its chronic absenteeism rate of 22% is actually better than both the district (26%) and state (27.9%) averages. This suggests students are showing up to school, but the instruction is not yielding desired results. Notably, the school consistently underperforms its own district by wide margins—for example, 16.7% versus 42.1% in 4th-grade math—indicating the challenges are specific to this school rather than systemic across Airport Community Schools. This combination of high spending, low absenteeism, and poor academic outcomes points to potential issues with curriculum effectiveness or the need for targeted instructional interventions to address the impacts of high poverty rates.