The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Cherry Knoll Elementary School
Cherry Knoll Elementary School sits on the north side of Traverse City, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Traverse City Area Public Schools. It is a regular public school with a neighborhood feel, drawing from a community that blends residential streets with the broader economic and cultural pull of the region.
Traverse City itself is a small but regionally dominant city anchoring a much larger metro area. Its economy runs on tourism, cherry production and processing, wine, and healthcare, with light manufacturing adding another layer. The downtown core hugs the Boardman River and Grand Traverse Bay, compact and walkable, with civic life concentrated there rather than on separated campuses. Surrounding townships like Garfield, East Bay, and Peninsula are primarily suburban and growing. Munson Medical Center is one of the largest employers in the area, and Hagerty Insurance and the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station also anchor the local economy. The former Traverse City State Hospital grounds have been redeveloped, and the FishPass project at the Union Street Dam represents ongoing waterfront investment. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits roughly twenty miles to the west-northwest. Publicly reported sources describe the city's population as having grown modestly over the past decade, with surrounding townships experiencing more pronounced growth as bedroom communities.
The housing market around Cherry Knoll reflects that regional draw. Home values in the school's zip code sit above both the state and national benchmarks, and the price-to-income ratio indicates a market that is less affordable than many parts of Michigan. A family weighing this area should expect that buying a home here carries a premium tied to Traverse City's desirability as a place to live and visit.
At Cherry Knoll, the student body is predominantly white, with smaller representation across Hispanic, multiracial, and other groups. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education populations was not reported, so those profiles are not available here. The school does not carry a charter or magnet designation.
On state assessments, the most recent M-STEP results paint a mixed picture. English language arts is the stronger area, with upper-elementary grades showing a clear majority of students reaching proficiency. Fourth and fifth grade ELA results stand out as solid. Third grade ELA is lower, suggesting that reading outcomes strengthen as students move through the grades. Math results are more modest across all three tested grades, hovering below the level a family might hope to see, and fifth grade social studies is the weakest reported result. Science proficiency for fifth graders lands in the middle. There is no multi-year trend data available, so it is not possible to say whether these results reflect a stable pattern or a point-in-time snapshot. A parent may want to look into how the school supports math growth and early literacy with the school directly.
When placed relative to districts in Grand Traverse County, Cherry Knoll's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. That positioning is worth understanding in context: the county includes several districts, and the range of proficiency outcomes is wide. Cherry Knoll's results are below the county median but not at the floor. Graduation rate and chronic absenteeism are not applicable to this school given its grade band.
We looked for the district's recent parent-relevant changes and found little of lasting impact in publicly available sources, so there is nothing to report on that front. Program offerings, course access, staffing details, discipline data, and attendance figures were not available in the data provided, which leaves a gap in understanding the day-to-day school environment beyond what test results capture.
For a family considering Cherry Knoll, the school offers a mainstream public elementary experience in a desirable, growing region with a strong community identity. The academic results suggest that reading instruction is working well for many students by the upper grades, while math is an area where a parent would want to ask questions. The housing market and civic setting are genuine strengths of the area, and the school's demographic profile is fairly typical for this part of northern Michigan. The missing data on programs, staffing, and student support services means a visit or direct conversation with the school would be the next step for anyone wanting a fuller picture.
See more original research from School Decision →