Summary:
Zip code 49265 is home to a single elementary school, Onsted Elementary, which serves grades PK through 5 within the Onsted Community Schools district, a rural area with a mid-sized student body of 536.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Onsted Elementary is currently experiencing a significant academic downturn. The school’s state ranking dropped sharply from 690th (3 stars) in 2024-2025 to 905th (2 stars) in 2025-2026, a fall of 215 places. This decline is visible across nearly every subject and grade level. For example, 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency fell from 40.4% to 29.3%, and 5th-grade Science plummeted from 49.5% to 28.4%. In the most recent testing year, all ELA scores (29.3% to 35.1%) were below state averages, as were 4th and 5th-grade Math, 5th-grade Science (28.4% vs. 40% state), and 5th-grade Social Studies (24.3% vs. 27.5% state). The lone bright spot was 3rd-grade Math, where 44% proficiency edged out the state average of 42.9%, suggesting a possible early-grade strength worth replicating.
Despite the academic struggles, there are some positive structural signs. The school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.9 and spends a substantial $15,943 per student. Notably, chronic absenteeism is just 16.0%, far better than the district’s 23.8% and the state’s 27.9%, meaning students are consistently showing up. However, nearly half of the students (49.44%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, which adds context to the performance data. The combination of high spending, low class sizes, and strong attendance with below-average test results points to a potential issue with instructional effectiveness or curriculum rather than resources or student engagement. The steady decline in math proficiency as students advance (44% in 3rd grade down to 21.6% in 5th grade) also hints at widening learning gaps, possibly a lingering effect of pandemic-era disruptions.
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