The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 35% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Three Fires Elementary
Three Fires Elementary sits on Crooked Lake Road in Howell, part of Howell Public Schools in Livingston County. It is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment that makes it a sizable elementary building for the area. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not carry charter or magnet status.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments for the most recent school year, Three Fires shows a mixed academic profile. In math, third graders reached proficiency at a rate just below half, while fourth graders fell to a lower level and fifth graders landed in between. English language arts follows a similar pattern: third grade posted a middling rate, fourth grade dipped, and fifth grade came in at the strongest level, with a slim majority of fifth graders reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade science landed at the midpoint, with half of tested students proficient. Social studies was the weakest area, with only about a third of fifth graders demonstrating proficiency. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement or decline over time. Participation rates were also missing from the state data.
When placed against other districts in Livingston County, Three Fires falls in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The county's districts span a range, and Three Fires sits below the county median and near the lower end of the group. A parent weighing academic outcomes may want to look into this further with the school, particularly the fourth-grade dip in both math and reading and the social studies result.
Howell itself is the county seat of Livingston County, a city that blends a historic downtown with surrounding residential neighborhoods. Publicly reported sources describe it as having a rural and suburban character while sitting near I-96 and the broader Detroit metro area. The downtown features preserved historic buildings and walkable streets, and the city hosts large seasonal events that draw crowds, including the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest, the Howell Melon Festival, and October celebrations like Legend of Sleepy Howell and Witches Night. Manufacturing is the largest employment sector, with major employers including Thai Summit America Corp, Citizens Insurance, and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Howell Public Schools itself is among the listed employers. The city saw substantial population growth over recent decades, though more recent estimates point to a slight decline. Schools sit on separated campuses away from the downtown core, and the district has reorganized some programs into shared facilities, including the Little Highlander's Learning Center and Innovation Academy at the former Southwest Elementary building.
The housing market around Three Fires is moderately expensive relative to broader state benchmarks. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit above both the Michigan and national medians, and estimated monthly mortgage costs run higher than typical rents. Rent absorbs a smaller share of household income than a mortgage would at current rates, which may matter to families deciding between buying and renting. State and national unemployment figures have been stable.
Data on staffing, course access, discipline, attendance, chronic absenteeism, and Title I status was not available for this school. Special population figures, including students with individualized education programs and English learners, were also missing. A family seeking those specifics would need to contact the school directly.
What the picture shows is an elementary school in a growing, historically rooted county-seat community, with a walkable downtown and strong civic traditions nearby. Academic results are uneven across grades and subjects, strongest in fifth-grade reading and science, weakest in fourth-grade math and fifth-grade social studies, and positioned below the middle of its county cohort overall. For a family drawn to Howell's character and willing to engage with the school on its academic trajectory, Three Fires is a place to visit and ask questions, particularly about how the school supports students between third and fifth grade.
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