Schools in Zip Code 48356

ZIP code 48356, encompassing Highland, Michigan, is served by a single elementary school, Spring Mills Elementary School, which is part of the Huron Valley Schools district and educates students in grades K-5.

Spring Mills Elementary School is a solidly performing school with a 3-star rating, ranking in the 70th percentile of Michigan elementary schools. While it recently dropped from a 4-star to a 3-star rating, its performance remains above state averages in most areas. The school's standout strength is 5th-grade science, where 53.1% of students are proficient—a significant 13.1 percentage points above the state average. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 15.7%, compared to 22.6% for the district and 27.9% statewide, which likely supports consistent learning. The school also serves a relatively affluent population, with only 30.19% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.

However, there are areas of concern. The most dramatic decline occurred in 5th-grade English Language Arts, which fell from 55.7% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 42.4% in 2025-2026, now slightly below the state average. Performance also shows a troubling pattern in math, where proficiency drops steadily from 59.2% in 3rd grade to just 34.8% in 5th grade, suggesting a cumulative learning gap. While 4th-grade ELA is excellent at 59.4% (18.1 points above the state), 5th-grade ELA lags behind, indicating inconsistent instruction across grade levels. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.1:1 and per-student spending of $15,665, the school has resources to address these challenges. For parents, Spring Mills offers a strong early-elementary foundation and excellent science instruction, but upper-grade math and reading may require additional support at home.