Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 49224

Zip code 49224, encompassing the Albion area, is served by a single elementary school, Harrington Elementary School, which educates students in grades PK-5 within the Marshall Public Schools district.

For parents considering this area, the most critical takeaway is that Harrington Elementary School is facing significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 5% of Michigan elementary schools. State test scores are very low, with only 11.1% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA and just 5.88% of 5th graders proficient in science. Math proficiency is similarly concerning, with only 9.09% of 4th graders meeting state standards. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population, with 81.78% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. A major red flag is the chronic absenteeism rate of 53.6%, which is more than double the district average of 24.7% and nearly double the state rate. This means over half of the students are missing significant instructional time, which is likely the biggest barrier to academic success.

Interestingly, the school benefits from substantial resources, spending $23,817 per student and maintaining a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.6:1. This high investment has not yet translated into strong outcomes, creating a paradox where money and small class sizes are not overcoming the challenges of poverty and attendance. There is one small positive sign: 4th-grade ELA proficiency jumped from 6.12% to 20.9% between school years, suggesting a possible intervention is starting to work. However, the gap between this school and the rest of the district is immense—for example, 4th-grade math proficiency is 9.09% at Harrington compared to 48.9% district-wide. The school's state ranking has been persistently in the bottom 5% for three consecutive years, indicating a long-term struggle. For parents, the data strongly suggests that improving attendance and addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism would be the most impactful strategy for improving student outcomes at this school.