Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48821

Zip code 48821 is served by a single public elementary school, Dimondale Elementary School, which educates students in grades K-5 within the Holt Public Schools district.

For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Dimondale Elementary is a high-need school with significant financial resources that are not yet translating into strong academic results. The school enrolls 381 students and has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.8:1, suggesting smaller class sizes. However, over 57% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. The most alarming statistic is the chronic absenteeism rate of 42.2% for the 2024-2025 school year—far exceeding both the district's 30.6% and the state's 27.9%. This means nearly half of the students are regularly missing school, which likely explains the inconsistent test scores. Despite the district spending an exceptionally high $57,289 per student, academic proficiency remains mixed: 3rd-grade ELA (40.5%) and 4th-grade math (43.1%) beat state averages, but 5th-grade scores drop significantly, with only 32.1% proficient in ELA and 33.3% in math.

There is a clear pattern of declining performance as students advance through the grades, with proficiency rates highest in 3rd grade and falling by 5th grade—a potential "middle school slump" that suggests curriculum or engagement issues in upper elementary. On a positive note, the school shows relative strength in math and science compared to its own district, outperforming Holt Public Schools in 4th-grade math (43.1% vs. 41.3%), 5th-grade math (33.3% vs. 25.3%), and 5th-grade science (37% vs. 34.1%). The school's state ranking has also been volatile, swinging from the 47th percentile to the 36th and back to the 48th percentile over three years. For parents, the key concern should be attendance—addressing the chronic absenteeism crisis is likely the most critical step toward improving academic outcomes at this otherwise well-funded school.