The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lyons School
Lyons School is a regular public elementary school in Lansing, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It sits within the Lansing Public School District, Michigan's state capital and a mid-sized city that functions as a regional hub for government, education, insurance, healthcare, and commerce. The surrounding neighborhood is one of the more affordable pockets of the Lansing area, with home values well below both state and national benchmarks. Rents are similarly modest. For families looking at the housing picture, the cost of ownership here runs meaningfully lower than in most of Ingham County, and monthly rent sits at a level that leaves more room in a household budget than in many nearby communities.
The school's enrollment is modest for an elementary building, with roughly even distribution across the grade levels it serves. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with white, Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and Asian students all represented in meaningful proportions. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding community. Data on English learner status and special education enrollment was not available, so those dimensions of the school's student population cannot be described here.
State testing results come from Michigan's M-STEP assessment, administered in third and fourth grade. Proficiency rates at Lyons are low across both subjects and both tested grades. In third grade, the share of students reaching proficiency in math and in English language arts was identical and quite modest. Fourth grade showed a slightly higher rate in English language arts than in third grade, while fourth-grade math remained in the same low range. When positioned relative to districts in Ingham County, Lyons falls in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking what instructional supports and interventions are in place and how the school is working to move students toward grade-level expectations.
Because Lyons is an elementary school serving only through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate, and the chronic absenteeism figure was not reported in the available data. No trend data was available to show whether proficiency has been improving or declining over time, so the current results should be read as a single-year snapshot rather than part of a trajectory.
The broader district context matters for families considering Lyons. Lansing Public School District is in a period of both investment and financial strain. Publicly reported district information indicates that voters approved a bond in late 2022 to fund facility improvements, security upgrades, technology, a rebuilt Willow Elementary, a new early childhood center, and athletic improvements, all structured without raising the current tax rate. The new early childhood center broke ground in summer 2024 and is expected to open in fall 2025. At the same time, the district is contending with declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-relief funding, leading to deficit spending and public discussion of possible school consolidation. No specific schools have been named for closure, but the financial pressure is real and could shape program offerings and building assignments in the years ahead. Families considering Lyons should be aware that the district's fiscal situation may bring changes.
Lansing itself offers the amenities of a state capital. The Michigan State Capitol sits in a park at the city's center, with the Grand River running through downtown and a river trail popular for biking and walking. Lansing Community College is located in the city, and Michigan State University sits just over the border in East Lansing. Major employers include state government, several national insurance companies, General Motors, Sparrow Health System, and McLaren Greater Lansing. The city has grown modestly in recent years and has expanded its boundaries through annexation.
What Lyons offers is a small, diverse, neighborhood elementary school in an affordable part of the capital city, within a district that is investing in facilities while navigating real financial headwinds. The academic results as measured by state assessments are currently low, and the data does not yet show a trend line. A family weighing this school would want to visit, ask about the supports in place for reading and math growth, and stay attuned to district-level decisions that could affect the school's future.
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