The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Coloma Intermediate School
Coloma Intermediate School is a two-grade public school serving fourth and fifth graders in the Coloma Community Schools district, in the small rural city of Coloma in Berrien County. Because it covers only the intermediate grades, it sits between the district's elementary buildings and its middle school, acting as a narrow academic bridge rather than a full K-through-5 experience. Families here are choosing a school that focuses on a specific developmental window, and the building's whole structure is organized around that.
The school's state testing results from the most recent M-STEP administration paint a sobering picture. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of fourth graders and just under a third of fifth graders reached proficiency. Math results were lower, with proficiency rates falling below a fifth in both grades. Fifth-grade science landed at about a quarter proficient, while social studies was the weakest subject, with only a small share of students meeting the bar. When all tested subjects and grades are combined, the school's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Berrien County. That places it well below the county median. A parent weighing this school may want to look into how the building supports students who are below grade level, what intervention or tutoring structures exist, and how the district plans to address these results.
The student body is small, as one would expect for a two-grade building, and it reflects the community it draws from. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic realities of the area. The enrollment is majority white, with a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller group of students identifying as two or more races or Black. IEP and English learner data were not available, so families whose children receive special education services or language support will want to ask the school directly about what is in place.
Coloma itself is a compact rural town in Michigan's Fruit Belt, surrounded by farmland producing peaches, grapes, and apples, within the Lake Michigan Shore American Viticultural Area. The downtown has mom-and-pop stores, hometown restaurants, and a first-run movie theater that has been operating for a long time. The nearby Paw Paw Lake area was historically a resort destination drawing summer visitors from Chicago and elsewhere, though that tourism era has faded. The town hosts the Glad-Peach Festival in August and a St. Patrick's Day Parade, which bring foot traffic and a sense of seasonal civic life. The town is auto-oriented, with highway access via I-94, and no public transit system was identified. Publicly reported sources note a slight population decline over the past decade, and no major new housing developments or growth projects were mentioned.
The housing market in the school's zip code is modest relative to state and national benchmarks, with typical home values sitting below the Michigan statewide figure and well below the national one. Values have been appreciating at a healthy clip recently, and the price-to-income ratio suggests the area remains relatively affordable for buyers with steady incomes. Rent data was not available.
We looked for recent district-level changes such as bond referendums, millage shifts, curriculum updates, or other parent-relevant developments and found little in available sources, so there is nothing concrete to report on that front. Families will want to engage directly with Coloma Community Schools to understand any strategic priorities or planned changes affecting the intermediate building.
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