About us
Our roots are
the township’s roots.
Like many of the villages of Houghton County, copper mining lies at the foundation of Winona, Michigan. The first housing was constructed here in 1864. The town is named for the mother of Hiawatha — the hero of Longfellow’s epic poem — in a region whose forests, rivers, and towns gave the poem its setting.
Since September 1906
Organized by the people,
for the people of
Elm River Township.
The present school was organized and approved by the voters of Elm River Township in May of 1906, built over that summer, and opened its doors for classes that September. For most of the twentieth century we taught all the way through high school.
Today instruction is Kindergarten through sixth grade. The school is actively managed by a Board of Education elected from the people of the township — neighbors, parents, and taxpayers who live with the results of every decision they make.
2026 marks our 120th anniversary.
Mission
To rise to the fullest
of their potential.
As a community-related school district, we strive to challenge each student, each school employee, and each citizen to rise to the fullest of their potential. Recognizing that our students are indeed our future, we provide a stimulating environment — academic, emotional, and social — that develops responsible, caring citizens.
Philosophy
We provide an atmosphere for a genuinely unique learning experience for young elementary students. Through cooperative learning, students maximize each other’s learning; everyone who enters these open doors will be encouraged by what they see. Multi-graded classrooms, small-group interaction, and one-on-one instruction produce positive student achievement — and we believe this experience works.
What we teach
A complete elementary
curriculum.
Five subjects, taught every year, by people who know every child in the building:
- Literacy — reading, English language, and handwriting with daily practice and one-on-one coaching.
- Mathematics — concepts at each child’s level, with time for the depth large classes rarely get.
- Science & social studies — the world beyond the township: its systems, its history, and the student’s place in it.
- Music & art — notation, rhythm, drawing, and painting — a full arts program, not an afterthought.
- Physical education — movement and games every week, in a building where the gym is steps from the classroom.
Documents
Our board minutes, budgets, and filings for the State of Michigan are collected on the calendar & documents page. Questions about enrollment, boundary, or transport? The contact page has the numbers that matter.