The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Math. The lowest is 17% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Elementary School
Woodland Elementary School sits in Kingsford, a small city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that began as a Ford Motor Company factory town in the 1920s. The city transitioned away from its single-company roots after Ford closed its sawmill and parts plant, and the charcoal operation that bore the Kingsford name eventually departed as well. Today Kingsford describes itself as business and family friendly, with a neighborhood atmosphere shaped in part by the historic Ford Addition, a residential area of homes built by Henry Ford for employees. The Menominee River forms the southern border with Wisconsin, and M-95 connects the city to US routes just north in neighboring Iron Mountain. Recreational assets are plentiful in the surrounding area, including Pine Mountain Ski Resort in Breitung Township, along with camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and snowmobile trails. Publicly reported sources name Grede Foundries and a nearby paper mill between Kingsford and Norway as current employers, with Ford Airport serving as a hub for cargo operations. Housing in the area is quite affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, which may appeal to families putting down roots.
Woodland serves kindergarten through fourth grade and operates as a regular public school within the Breitung Township School District. The enrollment is sizable for an elementary building of this grade band, and the student body is predominantly white, with small Hispanic and multiracial representations. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
On state assessments, Woodland's results paint a solid picture in the core tested subjects. Third and fourth grade math proficiency rates are strong, with the third grade cohort performing particularly well. English language arts results are moderate, with a majority of students reaching proficiency in both grades, though fourth grade ELA sits at the lower end of that range. When measured against other districts in Dickinson County, Woodland's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint, which suggests that while individual grade-level results are respectable, neighboring districts in the county are posting higher combined marks. A parent weighing this might want to look into how the school supports students moving from third into fourth grade, particularly in ELA, where proficiency dips.
Science and social studies results exist in the data but come from a much earlier testing cycle and, in the case of social studies, reflect a fifth grade cohort that Woodland no longer serves. Those figures should not be read as a current indicator of performance. The school does not have a graduation rate, which is expected because it serves only elementary grades.
Several categories of information that parents often ask about were absent from the available data. Discipline records, course access details, staffing ratios, attendance and chronic absenteeism rates, and Title I status were not reported. Program offerings such as art, music, physical education, counseling, or extracurriculars were not provided. The district brief noted a strategic plan covering the next several years but did not include concrete details on parent-relevant changes, so there is little to report on recent initiatives or shifts within Breitung Township Schools. IEP and English learner rates were also missing.
What the evidence does support is a picture of a moderately large elementary school in an affordable, historically rooted Upper Peninsula community, with respectable math performance and adequate ELA results that leave some room to grow. Families drawn to a smaller city with outdoor recreation nearby and low housing costs will find Woodland accessible and grounded in its community. Where the data is thin, particularly around student support services and program breadth, a parent would benefit from contacting the school directly to fill in the picture.
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