Schools in Zip Code 48638

Zip code 48638 in Saginaw, Michigan, is served by four schools within the Saginaw Township Community Schools district, including three elementary schools and one middle school, with no high school options in the immediate area.

The standout school in this zip code is Hemmeter Elementary School, which ranks #6 in Michigan with a perfect 5-star rating and test scores that are more than double the district and state averages. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency at Hemmeter is 94.8% compared to just 27.7% at Arrowwood Elementary School—a staggering 67-point gap between two schools in the same district. White Pine Middle School serves grades 6-8 and performs near the 47th percentile statewide, with 6th grade math proficiency at 21.3% versus the state average of 31.9%. Westdale Elementary School has not reported test score data since 2009-2010, making its current academic performance impossible to assess.

The data reveals stark differences in socioeconomic conditions and attendance that closely track academic outcomes. Hemmeter has only 12.4% of students receiving free/reduced lunch and a 6.2% chronic absenteeism rate, while Arrowwood (58.7% free/reduced lunch) and Westdale (69.0%) face chronic absenteeism rates of 33.6% and 39.9% respectively. Interestingly, per-student spending does not explain these differences—Hemmeter spends the least at $11,909 per student while achieving the best results, whereas White Pine spends the most at $16,412 with only mid-pack performance. For families in this zip code, the choice between schools can mean the difference between attending a top-10 school in Michigan or a school performing in the bottom quarter of the state, with socioeconomic factors and attendance patterns appearing to be the primary drivers of these dramatic performance gaps.