Summary:
Zip code 49963 in Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula is served by a single school, South Range Elementary School, which educates students in grades PK through 6 within the Adams Township School District.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that this small school (204 students) offers a favorable 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio and spends a robust $16,559 per student, yet its academic performance has become highly inconsistent. The school’s state ranking fell dramatically from the 87th percentile (4 stars) in 2024-2025 to the 62nd percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, a drop of 370 positions. This decline is visible across nearly every grade and subject, with the most alarming change in 5th-grade math, which plummeted from 71.4% to 29.6% proficiency in one year. However, the picture is not uniformly bleak: 6th graders remain strong, with 72.7% proficiency in math (vs. 31.9% statewide) and 68.2% in ELA (vs. 37.5% statewide). Similarly, 5th-grade science (51.9%) and social studies (40.7%) both exceed state averages. The school also excels in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 12.0% compared to the state’s 27.9%, indicating strong family engagement.
Given the school’s small size, parents should interpret year-to-year ranking swings cautiously—the performance of just a few students can shift results significantly. Cohort analysis suggests the decline may be tied to specific groups of students rather than a school-wide issue, as the same cohort that scored 58.8% in 3rd-grade ELA fell to 28.9% as 4th graders, while another cohort improved slightly. With 42.65% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, the school serves a moderate-poverty population, but its low absenteeism and high per-student spending suggest resources are available. Since this is the only school in the district, there are no local comparison points, making it essential for parents to visit and ask about instructional strategies, especially for the lower grades where proficiency has dipped well below state averages.
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