Last month, U.S. News and World Report released its “Best 2025 K-8 Schools Rankings,” naming three Lapeer Community Schools elementary buildings as best of the best across Michigan.
Murphy (No. 182), Turrill (No. 531), and Schickler (No. 570) all earned recognition in the annual rankings.
In total, U.S. News and World Report ranks 47,573 elementary schools, 23,861 middle schools, and 17,656 annually across the United States.
The high school rankings will come out later this year.
According to Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Matt Wandrie, seeing several LCS buildings in the rankings is not a surprise.
“We have the hardest working staff and students who are clearly dedicated to improved academic performance,” said Wandrie. “This recognition from U.S. News and World Report is a feather in our collective caps, no doubt, but we all know our work is never done and we’ll continue to do what we do best for the continued growth of our students.”
Michelle Bradford, LCS assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, echoed Wandrie’s sentiments.
“This is great news and supports the work teachers do to focus on the importance of collaboration and planning for differentiation,” said Bradford. “Our staff values professional learning together such as ‘data days’ and simply collaborating around shared practices within their building and across the district. It's a pleasure supporting the real work that goes into daily classroom instruction.”
U.S. News and World Report uses a detailed methodology in ranking schools which includes the proficiency of students in mathematics and reading/language arts. Along with simple proficiency, U.S. News and World Report also reviews performance in the context of student demographics, stating that “the top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students.”
For more information, visit the official LCS website and the U.S. News and World Report website.
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