Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 49633

Zip code 49633 is served by a single elementary school, Fife Lake Elementary School, which educates 144 students in grades PK through 3rd as part of the Forest Area Community Schools district.

For parents considering this area, Fife Lake Elementary School presents a mixed picture. The school benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.3 and invests a substantial $17,168 per student, which suggests smaller class sizes and significant financial resources. However, academic outcomes are a concern. In the most recent testing year, only 22% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts and 31.7% in Math, compared to state averages of 38.2% and 42.9%, respectively. The district's overall state ranking places it in the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating, and historical data shows a downward trend from the mid-30s percentile a decade ago. The most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism, which stands at a striking 43.4%—well above the state average of 27.9%. With 61% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income community, and the combination of high poverty and high absenteeism appears to be a significant barrier to academic success.

There are some notable inconsistencies in year-over-year performance. Math proficiency jumped from 20.7% to 31.7% between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, while ELA proficiency actually declined from 27.6% to 22%. Given the small student body, these fluctuations may reflect the volatility of testing small cohorts. The high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio suggest the district is investing heavily in this school, but the data indicates that financial resources alone are not translating into improved test scores. For parents, the key takeaway is that while class sizes are small and funding is robust, the school faces serious challenges with attendance and academic performance that will require focused intervention to overcome.