The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Forrest G Averill School
Forrest G. Averill School sits on the south side of Lansing, Michigan's state capital, in a residential stretch of a city that functions as a regional hub for government, higher education, insurance, and healthcare. A regular public elementary school in the Lansing Public School District, Averill serves children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The surrounding neighborhood is largely auto-oriented, consistent with Lansing's broader suburban-style development patterns, though the city's downtown core and the Grand River riverfront lie a short drive north.
The school enrolls a modest number of students spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fourth grade. Its student body reflects the diversity of south Lansing: Black students make up the largest share, with white, Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students also represented. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Averill among the schools serving the most economically disadvantaged populations in the area. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available in the records reviewed, so those figures are left out rather than estimated.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessment, administered in third and fourth grade, Averill's proficiency results are low in both math and English language arts. In third-grade math, a small fraction of tested students reached proficiency; in fourth-grade math, the share was even smaller. English language arts results were similar, with roughly one in five third graders and a slightly smaller share of fourth graders demonstrating proficiency. When compared with proficiency levels across districts in Ingham County, Averill sits in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking about instructional support, intervention strategies, and how the building plans to address these outcomes. The data also flags a change in the social studies cut score for the relevant testing year, which limits year-over-year trend comparisons; no multi-year trend data was available for Averill.
Because Averill is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the state does not test students below third grade. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were not provided in the available records. Program offerings, staffing details, and course access information were also absent from the data reviewed, so those areas cannot be characterized here.
Lansing itself is a mid-sized capital city whose economy draws on state government, Michigan State University in neighboring East Lansing, several major insurance companies, Sparrow Health System, McLaren Greater Lansing, and General Motors manufacturing. The city has grown modestly since the 2020 census and continues to expand its boundaries through annexation and conditional land-transfer agreements with surrounding townships. Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Michigan median and rents that compare favorably to the estimated monthly cost of ownership at current mortgage rates. For families considering buying rather than renting, that gap is worth weighing.
The broader district context matters for Averill families. In late 2022, Lansing Public School District voters approved a bond to fund facility improvements, security upgrades, technology, a new Willow Elementary building, a new early childhood center, and athletic upgrades, all structured without increasing the current tax rate. A new early childhood center broke ground in 2024 and is expected to open in fall 2025. At the same time, the district is navigating a budget deficit tied to declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds, and publicly reported discussions about potential school consolidation have begun, though no specific buildings have been named. Those pressures could shape program offerings and building assignments in the years ahead, and families may want to follow district board meetings for updates.
What Averill offers is a small neighborhood elementary experience within a diverse, high-need student population in Michigan's capital city. The academic results are a concern worth direct conversation with the school, and the district's financial pressures add a layer of uncertainty. For families in south Lansing seeking a close-to-home option with strong economic accessibility, Averill is a place to visit, ask questions, and gauge whether the supports being put in place align with what their child needs.
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