Almont’s Orchard Primary among the BEST

School recognized for academic excellence

 

ALMONT — When you walk in the doors of Orchard Primary School in Almont you are immediately met with the feeling that this is a special place – the sort of school you would want your own child to attend.

Orchard Primary is at the heart of the tight knit community of Almont and truly embodies what it means to be an elementary school.

The lower level school was recently notified they are one of the BEST schools in the State, based on academic achievement and other factors.

Supt. Kimberly VonHiltmayer and Orchard Primary staff and administration traveled to Lansing recently to accept their award.

Orchard Primary Principal Adam Bruno stated, “The greatest driver of student success is the exceptional quality of our teachers and staff. High expectations are at the heart of our instruction. Our teachers provide exceptional differentiation and high-quality instruction to meet the needs of a vast array of unique learners. Our WIN (What I Need) intervention program provides targeted support to those students who need additional opportunities to grow as learners. The hard work and commitment from our team is evident in our exceptional academic achievement on state assessments.”

Bruno went on to add, “What sets us apart is that high expectations and excellence extend far beyond the academic realm. Teachers instill a sense of kindness, care, and altruism in their students. We pride ourselves on our RAD Raider expectations (Ready to Learn, Always be Safe, Do the Right thing) which set a foundation for the social emotional learning that takes place within our building.”

Bruno says above all else, the sense of community is what makes the school special.

“Our teachers and staff have an exceptional sense of commitment to their students; our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) provides dedicated and consistent support for the betterment of our students and staff; and our families are collaborative for the support of our whole school community” he stated.

Since 1982, the Department of Education has honored and highlighted the BEST schools in America.

Schools are nominated for either “Exemplary High Performing” or “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing.” Exemplary High Performing Schools are in the top 15% in ELA and/or math in their state.

In February 2025, MDE reached out saying they’d like to nominate Orchard Primary as a high performing school!

“We submitted our application in April highlighting some of the important aspects of our school,” Bruno explained.

Below are some things that were included in the application process.

Last month, the Federal Department of Education decided to end the National Blue Ribbon Program. No school will be brought to DC to honor their accomplishments.

Bruno pointed out, “BUT, MDE still is honoring these schools on November 13. This means that OP is part of the FINAL class of schools honored with this award!”

In 2025, 13 schools from Michigan received this honor out of a total of 3,659. This makes OP one of only .3% of Michigan schools honored for 2025!

Only 9,000 schools in the whole country have ever received this honor since 1982 from a total of 115,000. Additionally, only 7.8% of school have received this honor in the last 43 years.

In the last 11 years, no Lapeer County school has received this honor. The nearest schools to the Almont district to receive this award in that time frame were Davison, Troy, Grand Blanc and Swartz Creek.

Bruno feels the longevity of several staff members who have a heart for education is the key to the schools success and awards.

“The average teacher experience is 16 years,” he said. “We have eight teachers with 25 years of service to the profession, or more and we’ve noticed significantly more enrollment into (the school) as opposed to withdrawal.”

Bruno presented information at a school board meeting that showed in 2025, there were 25 students who came in to the district while 16 left. He also said School of Choice numbers remain impressive overall.

Staff at the school is planning to celebrate their success with several special functions including Blue Ribbon Spirit Week January 6 to 12.

A Blue Ribbon themed spirit day will be held each day while on January 15, staff and students will celebrate with a special assembly from 11:00 – 11:30 a.m., prior to what is being dubbed a BIG CELEBRATION the same day from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Congratulations to Almont’s Orchard Primary for being recognized as one of the best schools in the State.