The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 18% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Andrews Elementary School
Andrews Elementary School sits in the small city of Three Rivers, Michigan, where the St. Joseph River meets the Rocky and Portage rivers. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Three Rivers Community Schools, one of several elementary buildings distributed around the city. The school's location on South Douglas Avenue places it within the city's street grid rather than on a separated campus, and the district's central office, middle school, and high school all cluster along Sixth Avenue nearby.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary building, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the grade levels. The majority of students are white, with Black students and students of two or more races forming the next largest groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic mix of a community where household incomes trail the national median. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
On state assessments, the most recent M-STEP results paint a mixed picture that shifts depending on the grade level. Third-grade math stands out as a clear strength, with most tested students reaching proficiency. Third-grade English language arts is also solid, with well over half proficient. By fourth grade, proficiency drops to about half in math and lower in ELA. Fifth grade is where results thin out most, with only a quarter of students proficient in math, roughly three in ten in science, and fewer still in social studies. ELA in fifth grade sits in a similar range to fourth grade. This pattern, stronger in the early grades and softer as students approach middle school, is something a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly how instruction and support change as children move from primary to upper elementary grades.
Despite the grade-level variation, the school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in St. Joseph County. That position is largely carried by the strong third-grade results, which pull the aggregate upward against a county cohort where most districts sit lower. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether this profile is stable or shifting over time. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing, and because Andrews does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
The housing market around the school is affordable by both state and national standards. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well below the Michigan statewide benchmark and further below the national figure, making the area one of the more accessible entry points for homebuyers in the region. The price-to-income ratio is moderate, and current mortgage rates mean that a typical monthly payment is within reach for many working families, though rents were not available in the data and rental costs could not be assessed.
Three Rivers itself has seen slow, steady population growth over recent decades, a compact city with a recognizable downtown and residential neighborhoods along commercial corridors. The community has weathered serious disruption from tornadoes, including an EF2 storm in the summer of 2024 that hit the north side and a more recent storm that damaged homes and businesses across a wider area. Publicly reported information does not detail how school facilities were affected, though the district passed a multi-year bond divided into three series to fund secure entrances, building updates, and outdoor athletic and performing arts improvements. Construction at the district administration building has even moved some Board of Education meetings to Andrews Elementary, indicating active work nearby.
For families considering Andrews, the school offers a conventional public elementary pathway within a small-city setting where housing costs are modest. The academic results suggest children may start strong in the early grades and that attention to how the school sustains that momentum through fourth and fifth grade is worth asking about directly. The community context is one of a river town rebuilding after recent storms, with district-level investment in facilities underway.
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