The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 49% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Forest View Elementary School
Forest View Elementary School sits in the small unincorporated community of Boon, in Wexford County, and operates as a regular public school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It belongs to Cadillac Area Public Schools, a district whose offices and secondary campuses lie in Cadillac to the southeast. Boon itself has no schools, no downtown core, and virtually no commercial infrastructure, so families here are choosing a rural placement where children travel to a neighboring community for their education. The community has been experiencing population decline, and publicly reported estimates suggest that trajectory is continuing.
The school's academic results are a genuine strength. On Michigan's M-STEP assessments, proficiency rates rise meaningfully as students move through the upper grades. Third-grade math and English language arts results are the softest spots in the profile, with fewer than half of tested third graders reaching proficiency in either subject. By fourth grade, math proficiency jumps to a strong majority, and by fifth grade, both math and English language arts results show a majority of students proficient, with fifth-grade English language arts particularly strong. Fifth-grade science results are also solid, and social studies lands right at the midpoint of proficiency. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Wexford County, and its proficiency index exceeds the highest value reported among the county's comparison districts. That is a real stand-out position for a small rural school.
The student body is modest in size for its grade band and predominantly white, with only a handful of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic character of the surrounding area. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those population segments are not visible in the available profile. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services if those are relevant to their child.
Several categories of information were not available. Because Forest View is an elementary school, it has no graduation rate; that measure applies only to schools serving high school grades. Chronic absenteeism figures were not reported, and no civil-rights data such as discipline or course-access information was provided. The school's staffing, attendance, and program offerings were also absent from the available data, so questions about specialized programs, extracurriculars, or teacher experience would need to go to the district or school directly. No multi-year trend data was available either, so it is not possible to say from the data whether these proficiency levels represent an improving, stable, or declining pattern.
Housing in the area is relatively affordable. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit close to the Michigan state benchmark and well below the national figure. With a price-to-income ratio under three and current mortgage rates near six and a half percent, the monthly carrying cost on a typical home is modest by national standards. Rental data was not available. The broader economic picture shows a national unemployment rate holding steady, and median household income has been gradually rising in recent years.
No parent-relevant district changes, such as bond measures, facility closures, or curriculum shifts, were found in publicly reported sources for Cadillac Area Public Schools. That absence does not mean nothing is happening; it means the search turned up no changes clearing a lasting-impact threshold.
Forest View fits families looking for a small, rural elementary setting with surprisingly strong upper-grade academic outcomes relative to its county peers. The weaker third-grade results are worth a conversation with the school, particularly around early literacy and numeracy support. Families whose children need special education or English learner services should inquire directly, since those data were not reported. For families drawn to affordable rural living and willing to travel for school and daily needs, Forest View offers a academically competitive option in a quiet, shrinking community.
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