The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Holmes Elementary
Holmes STEAM Elementary sits on the east side of Ypsilanti in Ypsilanti Community Schools, serving kindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school. The school's enrolled population is modest for its grade band, with students concentrated in the upper elementary years. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions in the surrounding neighborhoods. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller Hispanic, multiracial, white, and American Indian or Alaska Native groups also present. The school does not carry a charter or magnet designation.
State testing results from the most recent M-STEP cycle are low across every tested grade and subject. In math, third graders showed only a sliver of proficiency, and fourth and fifth grades had so few proficient students that the state reported the rate in a bottom range near zero. English language arts results were somewhat higher but still well below what most schools in the county post, with only a small fraction of students reaching proficiency in each tested grade. Science and social studies results for fifth grade landed in the same low range. When positioned against districts in Washtenaw County, Holmes sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency. This is a soft spot that a parent may want to look into further with the school, asking what instruction and intervention plans are in place and how growth is being tracked for individual children.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided information whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. The school does not serve high school grades, so graduation rate does not apply. Civil-rights data, discipline figures, staffing details, attendance and chronic-absenteeism rates, and program offerings were not provided, so those pieces of the picture are absent here. Title I status was also not reported, though given the free-or-reduced-lunch population the school very likely qualifies.
Ypsilanti itself is a college town built around Eastern Michigan University. The university is interwoven with the city rather than walled off from it, and its campus anchors much of the local economy. Downtown Ypsilanti and Depot Town form two historic commercial cores with turn-of-the-century architecture, independent businesses, cafes, and festival space. The West Cross Street district near campus adds student-oriented dining and nightlife. The Huron River runs through the city, and the Border-to-Border Trail provides a recreational path along it. The city holds the second-largest contiguous historic district in Michigan, and its compact grid supports walkability in the core. Publicly reported sources note that Ypsilanti has transitioned from a manufacturing base toward an education- and service-oriented economy, with the former GM Powertrain plant no longer operating. A Water Street Redevelopment Area aims to revive vacant land near downtown, and the city has received state economic-development assistance through MSHDA's Blueprints for Michigan's Downtowns program.
The housing market around Holmes is relatively affordable for Washtenaw County. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the Michigan state benchmark and well below national levels, making ownership more accessible here than in much of the county. Rents are also modest. For a family weighing cost of living against school performance, the trade-off is clear: the area offers inexpensive housing in a walkable, historically rich community, but the elementary school's academic results are among the weakest in the county. A parent evaluating Holmes would want to ask directly about classroom-level support, tutoring or intervention programs, and how the school communicates student progress to families.
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