Summary:
Zip code 49837 in Gladstone, Michigan, is served by two elementary schools within the Gladstone Area Schools district, which together educate 676 students across kindergarten through fifth grade.
These two schools form a unique grade-level pipeline, with Cameron Elementary School serving kindergarten through second grade and James T Jones Elementary School serving third through fifth grade. The district appears to invest more heavily in its youngest learners: Cameron has a lower student-teacher ratio (13.6:1 vs. 17.3:1) and spends $1,941 more per student ($15,127 vs. $13,186) than Jones, even though Cameron serves a slightly higher percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (35.2% vs. 31%). This early investment may be paying off in engagement, as Cameron boasts an excellent chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.3%, compared to Jones's still-strong 9.2%—both far better than the state average of 27.9%.
Academically, Jones is the only school with state test data, and the results reveal a mixed picture. Third-grade math proficiency (43%) is right at the state average, but third-grade English language arts is a concern at just 27%, more than 11 points below the state. Math proficiency then declines sharply each year, falling to 33.7% in fourth grade and just 23.2% in fifth grade—a "cliff" that warrants attention. However, fifth graders at Jones outperform the state in science (42.4% vs. 40%) and social studies (30.4% vs. 27.5%), suggesting a late-stage strength in those subjects. Test scores also show year-over-year volatility in small cohorts, so trends should be monitored over multiple years. Overall, families in this area benefit from two well-attended, resource-conscious schools, with the district's clear focus on early grades providing a strong foundation, even as upper-grade math and reading proficiency remain areas for improvement.
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