Tomie Raines

Greater Lansing's Best and Worst Schools

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worst and best lansing schools compared

There's a lot of pressure on new families to choose a home in a great school district. Choosing the right Greater Lansing school district can help your child develop their educational interests early on, and put them on the path towards high achievement. To help, we compared Greater Lansing school districts using the statewide School Ranking report, which examines public schools individually based on Michigan standardized testing. The School Ranking report “gives an overall ranking to schools by using several different achievement-related measures in mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies.” The report also studied achievement gaps between each school’s highest- and lowest-scoring students to see how well-rounded the education is for all children. 

The School Ranking report scores schools by percentiles. For example, a school in the 80th percentile scores better than 80% of schools. To obtain comparison scores for Greater Lansing school districts and rank them accordingly, we averaged all school scores across the district and ranked them according to the following. Only the schools presenting data to the report were included. 

  • 1-19 Well below average
  • 20-39 Below average
  • 40-59 Average
  • 60-79 Above average
  • 80-99 Well above average 

Greater Lansing’s Best and Worst School Districts Compared

1. Okemos 

Schools: 

  • Bennett Woods Elementary School
  • Chippewa Middle School 
  • Cornell Elementary School
  • Hiawatha Elementary School 
  • Kinawa School 
  • Okemos High School 
  • Okemos Public Montessori-Central 

Overall: Well above average

The terrific schools in the Okemos area are part of what make it such a desirable location. With six out of seven Okemos schools performing above the top 90th percentile, the Okemos School District is the best in Greater Lansing and one of the best in the state. Students are evenly distributed over four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school, with exceptional schools at every level. Okemos High School (grades 9-12) ranks at the 98th percentile, giving teens a great jumpstart before college.

2. Haslett 

Schools: 

  • Haslett High School
  • Haslett Middle School
  • Murphy Elementary School 
  • Vera Ralya Elementary School 

Overall: Well above average

Extraordinary schools and the beautiful Lake Lansing make Haslett a popular place for families to settle down. With two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, students at Haslett Public Schools follow a straight-forward path. This allows peers to stay together and make lifelong friendships. While all of the schools perform well above average, the two elementary schools stand out particularly brightly in the 95th and 97th percentile. 

3. Dewitt 

Schools: 

  • DeWitt High School 
  • DeWitt Junior High School 
  • Herbison Woods Elementary School 
  • Scott Elementary School 

Overall: Well above average 

All Dewitt Public Schools test higher than nearly three fourths of Michigan’s schools, making it one of the best and most well-rounded districts in the Greater Lansing Area. Of the four schools, the Junior High School performs particularly well at the 96th percentile. Near average or low achievement gaps in each school also indicate that students receive extra help when needed. 

4. Williamston 

Schools: 

  • Williamston Discovery Elementary School
  • Williamston Explorer Elementary School 
  • Williamston High School 
  • Williamston Middle School 

Overall: Well above average

With three out of Williamston’s four schools performing well above average and all performing above average, it’s easy to see why students at Williamston go on to succeed. Williamston High School performed the highest at the 90th percentile, which helps older students get a head start before they head off to college. 

5. East Lansing 

Schools: 

  • Donley Elementary School
  • East Lansing High School
  • Glencairn School
  • MacDonald Middle School
  • Marble School
  • Pinecrest School
  • Whitehills Elementary School 

Overall: Above Average 

Several high-ranking schools stand out in the East Lansing area, including East Lansing High School, Glencairn School and Whitehills Elementary School. With Glencairn School (grades K-5) in the 95th percentile, children will receive an outstanding education right from the start.  East Lansing High School performs at the 90th percentile, which will help teens get ready for college or careers. East Lansing schools also display very low achievement gaps, indicating each student gets the attention and instruction they need.

6. Mason 

Schools: 

  • Alaiedon Elementary School 
  • Mason High School 
  • Mason Middle School 
  • North Aurelius Elementary School 
  • Steele Street Elementary School 

Overall: Above Average 

Mason Public Schools perform relatively uniformly, with Alaiedon Elementary School and the Public High School leading the district at the 88th and 82nd percentile, respectively. With all of the schools performing either at the average or above average level, students receive a quality education at every age. 

7. Grand Ledge 

Schools: 

  • Delta Center Elementary School 
  • Grand Ledge high School 
  • Kenneth T. Beagle Elementary School 
  • Leon W. Hayes Middle School 
  • Wacousta Elementary School 
  • Willow Ridge Elementary School 

Overall: Above average

Grand Ledge Public Schools covers a large area to the west of Lansing, including some suburban areas on the outskirts as well as rural areas farther away. Grand Ledge’s six schools are well-rounded, performing at, above, or even well above average. Two notable elementary schools, Wacousta Elementary School and Delta Center Elementary School, lead the area in the 85th and 83rd percentile, respectively.

8. Holt

Schools: 

  • Dimondale Elementary School 
  • Elliott Elementary School 
  • Holt Junior High School 
  • Holt Senior High School
  • Hope Middle School 
  • Horizon Elementary School 
  • Sycamore Elementary School 
  • Washington Woods Middle School
  • Wilcox Elementary School 

Overall: Average 

With about a 54 percentile average across the district, Holt Public Schools are comfortably in the middle of the School Ranking report. Though the schools themselves vary widely, with Horizon Elementary School at the top in the 93rd percentile and Holt Junior High at the bottom in the 20th, the student body is more well-rounded, with very low achievement gaps between students. 

9. Bath 

Schools: 

  • Bath Elementary School 
  • Bath Middle School 
  • Bath High School 

Overall: Average

Bath Public Schools overall perform near the middle percentile of Michigan’s schools, though the Bath High School stands out at the 79th percentile. With three schools and a relatively small population, children form close friendships with peers they will continue to see until graduation. 

10. Waverly 

Schools

  • East Intermediate School 
  • Elmwood Elementary School 
  • Waverly Middle School 
  • Waverly Senior High School 
  • Winans Elementary School 

Overall: Below average

Students on Lansing’s west side attend Waverly schools, including two elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Ranking in the 28th to the 40th percentile, the schools test somewhat below average. Elmwood elementary and Waverly Middle School perform the highest in the area, at the 40th and 39th percentiles, respectively. 

11. Lansing  

Schools: 

  • Attwood School
  • Cavanaugh School
  • Cumberland School
  • Eastern High School
  • Everett High School
  • Fairview School
  • Forrest G. Averill School
  • Gardner Academy
  • Gier Park School
  • J.W. Sexton High School
  • Lansing K-8 STEM Magnet Academy 
  • Lewton School
  • Lyons School
  • Mt. Hope School 
  • North School
  • Pattengill Academy 
  • Pleasant View Magnet School
  • Post Oak School
  • Sheridan Road
  • Wexford Montessori Magnet School 
  • Woodcreek Achievement Center

Overall: Well below average 

Lansing Public Schools includes 21 schools across central Lansing. All but one school, Post Oak School (grades K-6), ranked below the 50th percentile. The elementary schools tend to perform higher than the high schools, indicating additional support or alternative high school education may be ideal for older children in this area.

The schools in the School Ranking report did not include private schools or independent academies, which may be attractive options for many families. If you have children or starting a family is an especially important consideration as you look for a new home, take a close look at all the schools in the area. This way you can find the perfect home for current and future members of your family.