Summary:
Zip code 48846 in Ionia, Michigan, is home to 7 elementary schools serving grades PK-6, a mix of four schools within the Ionia Public Schools district and three very small township schools operated by Berlin Township S/D #3, Easton Township S/D #6, and Ionia Township S/D #2.
For parents, the standout choice academically is AA Rather School, which ranks highest in the area (55th percentile) and posts the strongest test scores, beating district and state averages in 4th grade math and 5th grade ELA. Its closest competitor is RB Boyce Elementary School, which has shown the most dramatic improvement, jumping from the 19th to 39th percentile in two years while also boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.4%) in the area—far better than the district average of 27.1%. In contrast, Jefferson School and Emerson School lag behind, with Emerson struggling most in math (17.6% proficiency) and facing the highest poverty rate (78.3%). Notably, higher spending does not guarantee results: Emerson spends 37% more per student than RB Boyce yet performs worse on most metrics.
The three township schools—Coon School, Haynor School, and North LeValley Elementary School—serve only 35 students combined and offer ultra-small class sizes (ratios as low as 6.4:1) with high per-pupil spending, but they report no test data, making their academic effectiveness impossible to judge. Across the district, all four Ionia Public Schools rank in the bottom half of Michigan, though RB Boyce’s recent gains and AA Rather’s consistent performance show that improvement is achievable even amid socioeconomic challenges.
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