Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 49749

Zip code 49749, located in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, is served by a single elementary school, Inland Lakes Elementary School, which enrolls 316 students in grades K-5 as part of the Inland Lakes Schools district.

For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Inland Lakes Elementary serves a high-need population—71.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—and its overall state ranking has slipped to the 34th percentile (986th out of 1,492 Michigan elementary schools) for 2025-2026. The school shows a clear split by grade level. In 3rd and 4th grades, proficiency in English Language Arts (23.1% and 22.4%) and math (34.6% and 24.1%) trails state averages by 8 to 19 percentage points. However, 5th graders perform much closer to state norms in ELA (40.4% vs. 43.8%) and math (25.5% vs. 32.2%), suggesting either stronger instruction in upper grades or a particularly capable cohort. The standout subject is 5th-grade science, where 48.9% of students are proficient—nearly 9 points above the state average of 40%. This strength contrasts sharply with 5th-grade social studies, where only 6.4% are proficient versus 27.5% statewide, a 21-point gap that may indicate an imbalance in instructional priorities.

Year-over-year trends are mostly concerning. From 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, ELA proficiency fell in all three tested grades, and math declined in 3rd and 4th grades (though 5th-grade math improved dramatically from 12.2% to 25.5%). Social studies proficiency plummeted from 20.4% to 6.4%, while science was the only subject to improve. Chronic absenteeism affects 24.3% of students—better than the state’s 27.9% but still high enough to impact learning. With a student-teacher ratio of 14.9:1 and per-student spending of $14,733, the school invests significant resources, but those funds likely address challenges tied to poverty rather than academics alone. Parents should expect a school working hard against economic headwinds, with notable strengths in 5th-grade science but clear vulnerabilities in early-grade literacy and social studies.