The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 50% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Graveraet Elementary School
Graveraet Elementary School sits on North Front Street in Marquette, the largest city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the seat of Marquette County. It is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, part of Marquette Area Public Schools, which is itself the largest district in the Upper Peninsula. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, with fairly even distribution across the early grades and a slightly smaller fifth-grade cohort.
The student body is predominantly white, with small representation across Hispanic, multiracial, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is below what many urban elementary schools see but still reflects a meaningful share of families living on tighter budgets. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those dimensions of student support are worth asking the school about directly.
On state assessments, Graveraet turns in a solid performance. Across the tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among districts in Marquette County. Third graders performed well in both English language arts and math, with more than half of tested students reaching proficiency in each. Fourth-grade results were similar, with math slightly stronger than ELA. Fifth grade tells a more mixed story: ELA held up well, and science was the school's strongest showing, with a clear majority of fifth graders proficient. Math in fifth grade was the weakest result, dipping below half. Social studies landed right at the midpoint. Participation rates were not reported, and the state notes a cut-score change in social studies, which means year-over-year comparisons there should be read with care. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent stability, growth, or decline over time.
The school sits in a city that blends working port, university town, and regional hub. Marquette remains an active iron ore shipping port on Lake Superior, and Northern Michigan University is a major presence integrated into the city rather than set apart from it. The largest employers include the university, the school district itself, the regional medical center, and the state prison, along with telecommunications and healthcare firms. Downtown clusters along the Lake Superior waterfront with museums, breweries, and shops in a compact core. Presque Isle Park, a forested peninsula shaped in part by Frederick Law Olmsted's input, is the signature green space, with trails, a marina, and a nature center. The city receives very heavy lake-effect snow, which shapes daily life for families through much of the school year. Recent development has centered on climate adaptation along the shoreline, including moving parts of Lakeshore Boulevard inland and restoring wetlands to manage stormwater.
The housing market here is more expensive than the state benchmark but more affordable than the national one. Home values in the school's zip code sit above the Michigan median, and rents are moderate. The price-to-income ratio suggests that buying a home is within reach for many working families in the area, and rent absorbs a manageable share of typical household income. Values have been appreciating, which may reflect the city's appeal as a regional center with university and medical employment anchoring demand.
We looked for recent district-level changes that might affect families and found little of lasting impact reported, so there is nothing concrete to flag on that front. Information on school-level discipline, staffing ratios, course access, and chronic absenteeism was not available. A parent considering Graveraet would find a school with steady academic results that outpace most of its county peers, set in a community where outdoor recreation, a university, and regional institutions shape the texture of daily life.
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