Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 49090

Zip code 49090, serving the South Haven, Michigan area, is home to three elementary schools within the South Haven Public Schools district, collectively educating roughly 806 students across a PK-3 and 4-5 grade configuration.

For parents exploring this area, the three schools form a distinct feeder pattern: Maple Grove Elementary School and Lincoln School both serve grades PK-3, with students then moving to North Shore Elementary for grades 4-5. Looking at the most recent 2025-2026 data, Maple Grove is the clear academic leader among the younger grades, posting significantly higher 3rd-grade proficiency rates in both ELA (34.5%) and Math (42.9%) compared to Lincoln School (22% and 26%, respectively). This is particularly noteworthy because Maple Grove also serves the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (73.67% free/reduced lunch) yet achieves better results, suggesting effective interventions. Maple Grove also boasts the most favorable student-teacher ratio at 12.7:1. However, its chronic absenteeism rate of 29.6% is a concern, nearly 9 points higher than North Shore’s 20.8%.

Lincoln School presents the most alarming trend, with a dramatic year-over-year collapse in 3rd-grade scores—a 22.6-point drop in ELA and a 28.7-point drop in Math—despite having the highest per-student spending ($16,052). This volatility, possibly due to a cohort effect or staffing changes, warrants immediate district attention. At North Shore, the only upper-elementary school, 5th-grade science proficiency (40%) exactly matches the state average, a bright spot, but 5th-grade math (22.6%) trails the state by nearly 10 points. Notably, school-level data at North Shore mirrors district figures exactly, meaning the district’s overall 45th-percentile ranking is essentially driven by this single small school. Overall, while all three schools face economic challenges and generally perform below state averages, Maple Grove’s math success and North Shore’s science scores offer pockets of strength, while Lincoln’s decline and Maple Grove’s absenteeism are the most pressing issues for families to monitor.