Summary:
ZIP code 61953 has three schools serving prekindergarten through grade 12: North Ward Elementary School (PK–4), East Prairie Middle School (grades 5–8), and Tuscola High School (grades 9–12). Together, they enroll 904 students, or about 301 per school on average. The clearest shared-test comparison is 2025–2026 all-grades IAR: East Prairie leads in ELA, while North Ward leads in mathematics, so neither is the across-the-board leader.
East Prairie stands out in IAR ELA, with 70% proficient compared with 46% at North Ward and 56% statewide; it is 14 points above the state. North Ward leads IAR mathematics at 42%, versus 36% at East Prairie and 40% statewide. At Tuscola High, grade 11 ACT ELA was 66%, 16 points above the state, but mathematics was 27%, 12 points below. Its grade 10 PreACT Secure mathematics result was also low at 14%, compared with 36% statewide. Graduation is a strength: 99% of Tuscola students graduated in 2025–2026, versus 90% statewide.
Recent changes are mixed: the two IAR schools’ average mathematics proficiency rose from 33% to 39%, narrowing the gap with the state by 5 points; North Ward rose 13 points, while East Prairie fell 2. Their average ELA result stayed near 58%, but its advantage over the state narrowed by 3 points. SchoolDigger’s percentile rankings also diverged in 2025–2026: Tuscola High rose from 54 to 63, while North Ward fell from 40 to 35 and East Prairie from 71 to 62. Student–teacher ratios are similar, ranging from 11.3 to 12.5. Free/reduced lunch eligible shares in school year 2024–2025 ranged from 38% at Tuscola High to 44% at North Ward; these are contextual observations, not explanations of results. All three schools had chronic absenteeism below the state’s 24% in 2025–2026. Because the schools serve different grades, comparisons are most useful within the same test, grade, and year.
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