Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 48801

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Michigan rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

806

Students

Top rankedPine Avenue Elementary School845^th of 1,492 Michigan elementary schools

See the top-ranked Michigan schools →

Summary:

Zip code 48801 in Alma, Michigan, is served by three elementary schools within the Alma Public Schools district, which together form a unique grade-level feeder system for approximately 806 students from Pre-K through 5th grade.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that this district splits elementary education across three buildings, each with a distinct focus. Luce Road Elementary School serves the youngest learners (PK-K) and stands out for its intensive early-childhood resources, including the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.7:1) and highest per-student spending ($21,262) in the group. However, it also reports a strikingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 37.9%, more than double the rate at Hillcrest Elementary School (16.9%) and well above the state average. Hillcrest Elementary School (grades 1-3) emerges as the academic leader, posting the strongest proficiency rates relative to state benchmarks in both 3rd-grade ELA (33.9%) and Math (39.1%), while also demonstrating remarkably low absenteeism despite 77% of its students facing economic disadvantage. Pine Avenue Elementary School (grades 4-5) is the most improved, climbing from the 34th to 43rd percentile in state rankings over three years, with a genuine bright spot in 5th-grade Math where proficiency (34.1%) actually exceeds the state average.

All three schools serve predominantly high-poverty populations (66-78% free/reduced lunch), yet performance varies significantly by subject and grade. The most concerning academic trend is at Pine Avenue Elementary School, where 5th-grade Social Studies proficiency has dropped to just 19.4%—a 16-point gap below the same students' Science scores. Meanwhile, the district's overall mid-tier ranking (53rd percentile) masks these internal disparities, from Hillcrest Elementary School's steady year-over-year gains to the significant resource allocation differences, with Luce Road Elementary School spending 58% more per student than Hillcrest Elementary School without a corresponding attendance benefit.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)			M-Step Math (2026)			M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public	1-3	515 E Elizabeth St	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	400	24	16.7	77.3%	344 (86.0%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (8.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)								(n/a)	33.9			39.1					$13,472	$1,158	$12,314
Pine Avenue Elementary School	Public	4-5	1025 Pine Ave	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	265	17	15.6	78.5%	226 (85.3%)	2 (0.8%)	31 (11.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	40.8	845^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		45.4	784^th of 1488 public elementary schools	47.3%	61		38.9	34.1		34.4	34.1	35.7	19.4	$16,112	$1,427	$14,684
Luce Road Elementary School	Public	PK-K	535 N Luce Rd	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	141	16	8.7	66.7%	107 (75.9%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.5%)								(n/a)									$21,262	$1,708	$19,554

Cities Near Zip Code 48801

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Alma	0.38 mi	8	340^th
Saint Louis	3.2 mi	6	339^th
Ithaca	6.21 mi	3	145^th
Breckenridge	9.85 mi	2	252^nd
Shepherd	10.13 mi	5	164^th

See the top MI Michigan cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.