Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 48236

Zip code 48236, encompassing the Grosse Pointe area of Michigan, is home to 6 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 8th, with enrollments ranging from 274 to 456 students, and features a dramatic split between five schools in the top-ranked Grosse Pointe Public Schools and one school in the struggling Detroit Public Schools Community District.

For parents, the standout choices are Richard Elementary School and Kerby Elementary School, both ranking in the top 118 statewide (92nd-96th percentile). Richard is exceptionally consistent, ranking 53rd in Michigan with remarkable 3rd-grade math proficiency at 79.1%, while Kerby, though declining from a peak of 18th in 2023-24 to 118th now, still posts strong 4th-grade math scores of 86.1%. John Monteith Elementary School and Ferry Elementary School offer solid mid-tier performance (state ranks 307th and 349th), with proficiency rates roughly 20-30 points below the top two. The clear outlier within the Grosse Pointe district is Stevens T Mason Elementary School, ranking only 851st despite having the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.3:1) and second-highest spending ($22,767 per student); its 3rd-grade math proficiency of 33.3% is 28 points below its district peers. At the bottom sits Marquette ElementaryMiddle School, ranking 1,359th of 1,492 schools, with just 11.6% of 4th graders proficient in ELA.

The most striking insight is the spending paradox: Marquette spends the most per student ($23,028) yet achieves the lowest scores, while Kerby spends the least ($16,069) and ranks among the best—demonstrating that money alone cannot overcome challenges. Chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of success, with top schools like Kerby (8.3%) and Richard (9.4%) below 10%, while Marquette's staggering 80.7% absenteeism correlates with bottom-10% performance. This zip code is a microcosm of educational inequality, where district boundaries—not physical proximity—determine opportunity, as evidenced by the 87-percentile-point gap between Richard and Marquette despite being neighbors. Additionally, trends show Kerby and Stevens T Mason are declining, while Richard remains stable and Marquette shows slight improvement, making school choice and attendance patterns critical factors for parents to monitor.