Small school, big achievement: Wolverine Elementary earns top honor in Northern Michigan

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY—In the small village of Wolverine, exciting news is spreading as families prepare for the upcoming school year. Wolverine Elementary School has earned a spot in the top 100 schools in the state, ranking #84 of 2,188 Michigan schools by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. 

They’re now the #1-ranked elementary school in Cheboygan County, as measured by the Mackinac Center’s 2025 Michigan Context and Performance Report Card, and it’s putting the rural community of Wolverine in the spotlight for educational excellence. 

“We’ve been doing what I consider to be some of the most important work a district can do, that really reflects current research and best practice in professional development for teachers,” said Matthew Baughman, superintendent of the district and principal at Wolverine Elementary School. 

Baughman said the district has worked hard to create a positive and humane environment for staff, which has led to teacher retention—something school leaders across the country have been trying to crack the code on for years. 

“As a district, we’ve worked really hard to try and improve conditions for all staff,” Baughman said. “We are not where I’d like to see us, but in the last five years, we’ve increased people’s pay and benefits by over 25%.”

Raising the bar for Wolverine’s students went beyond raising pay, Baughman said. It’s taken a district-wide effort to be more collaborative and thoughtful.

“The school board president committed to training himself and the whole board in respecting the roles and responsibilities of the school board versus the superintendent,” Baughman said, adding: “At every board meeting, we have a section where we highlight and celebrate the contributions of people who work in the district so they know that they’re appreciated.”

He went on to say that elevating teachers into leadership roles has been critical to the district’s success. 

“We are, over time, doing a better job of putting teachers—the people who are closest to the work—in positions where they have actual authority over decision making.”

The new ranking puts Wolverine Elementary in the top 4% of all Michigan elementary schools.

What makes this achievement extra special

The CAP report card differs from traditional school rankings by accounting for student socioeconomic status. It’s significant for Wolverine Elementary, where over 85% of students live in poverty. 

The 2025 CAP report used three years of standardized test performance data—from 2022 to 2024—to rank the schools, making it a comprehensive assessment rather than a single-year snapshot.

Baughman said this suggests more about the intentional decisions that their school is making. 

“It’s easy to overlook a small, rural district like Wolverine,” he said. “But the data tells a different story. We’re not just holding our own—we’re leading the way and we are accomplishing something rare and noteworthy.”

Learn more about Wolverine schools on their website.