The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lillian G Mason Elementary School
Lillian G Mason Elementary School sits in Grand Blanc, a small suburb of Flint in Genesee County, and serves children in grades three through five as part of Grand Blanc Community Schools. The school sits along East Cook Road, in a residential pocket of a community built around the historic Saginaw Road corridor. Grand Blanc has a compact downtown core with City Hall, the public library, and the district court clustered together, but much of the surrounding built environment is auto-oriented, with commercial strips along the main roads and residential subdivisions radiating outward. The city has a Downtown Design Manual as part of its strategic plan, signaling an interest in maintaining its downtown character, though no dedicated walkability data was available.
The school's academic results are a clear strength. On the most recent M-STEP assessments, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were strongest in fourth grade, where roughly two-thirds of students met or exceeded standards in each subject. Third-grade results were solidly above the midpoint as well. Fifth grade showed a dip in math, with just under half of tested students reaching proficiency, while English language arts and science in fifth grade landed at or above the midpoint. Social studies proficiency for fifth graders was also above the midpoint. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Genesee County, and its proficiency index exceeds the highest district-level figure in the county cohort. These are strong numbers for an elementary school, particularly in a county where the median proficiency index sits well below this school's performance.
The student body is moderately sized for a three-grade elementary school, with enrollment balanced fairly evenly across grades three, four, and five. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The school's racial and ethnic composition is majority white, with meaningful representation of Black students and smaller groups of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations could not be characterized here.
Grand Blanc Community Schools has seen several parent-relevant changes recently. In November 2021, voters approved a bond proposal funding facility improvements through 2025, including safety upgrades, roofing, HVAC, technology, and athletic facility improvements, structured to avoid increasing the current tax rate. In May 2023, voters renewed a non-homestead operating millage that provides stable funding for district programming and staffing without taxing primary residences. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the district rolled out a new K-5 literacy curriculum across all elementary schools, which directly affects how reading instruction is delivered at Mason Elementary. And in fall 2024, the district opened a STEM Academy at Grand Blanc High School, offering a new academic pathway for students district-wide through an application process, though that program is years away for current Mason students.
The housing market around the school is relatively accessible compared with national figures. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the national benchmark and modestly above the state benchmark, with recent year-over-year appreciation. Rents are affordable relative to typical household income. The broader county market shows active and new listings both growing year over year, with homes spending roughly a month and a half on the market. Grand Blanc's population is declining slightly, and the city has been restructuring shared services with the surrounding township, including dissolving joint fire and parks arrangements. An EF2 tornado in February 2024 caused damage to the Waretech Industrial Park and nearby neighborhoods, which may affect local development patterns going forward.
No graduation rate applies here, since the school serves only elementary grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. Civil-rights data, staffing figures, course-access information, and program-specific offerings for this school were not provided, so those dimensions could not be assessed. A parent looking into the school may want to ask directly about supports for English learners and students with disabilities, as well as enrichment programming, since those details were absent from the available data. What the evidence does show is a well-performing elementary school in an established suburban community with active district investment in facilities and curriculum.
See more original research from School Decision →