Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 48618

Zip code 48618 is home to a single elementary school, Coleman Elementary School, which serves grades K-6 within the Coleman Community Schools district, enrolling 315 students in a predominantly rural area.

Since there is only one elementary school in this zip code, there are no local comparisons to make—the focus is entirely on Coleman Elementary’s own profile. The school serves a largely low-income population, with over 63% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and it faces a notable challenge with chronic absenteeism at 24.1% (though this is slightly better than the state average of 27.9%). Academically, the school consistently trails state averages across all subjects and grade levels, with proficiency gaps of roughly 10 to 20 percentage points. For example, in 2025-2026, 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 31.3% versus the state’s 43.8%, and 6th-grade math was just 20% compared to the state’s 42.9%. However, there are encouraging signs: the school’s state ranking percentile has improved for three straight years, from the 22nd to the 30th percentile, earning a 2-star rating. Notable gains include a jump in 3rd-grade ELA from 19.6% to 31.3% and 4th-grade math from 19.1% to 32.6% between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

One concerning pattern is a steady decline in ELA proficiency as students advance, dropping from 31.3% in 3rd grade to just 16.67% in 6th grade, suggesting older students may be struggling with increasingly complex material. Another outlier is the 5th-grade social studies score, which was an extremely low 8.82% in 2024-2025 before improving to 23.4% the following year. The school spends a substantial $14,792 per student, yet this high investment does not translate into top test scores, likely because funds are directed toward addressing poverty-related barriers like support staff and meals rather than purely academic instruction. For parents, this means Coleman Elementary is a school working hard against significant socioeconomic odds, showing gradual improvement in early grades, but still facing persistent achievement gaps and a need for stronger support in upper elementary years.