Summary:
Alpena, Michigan is served by 8 schools—4 elementary, 1 junior high, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school—that together educate roughly 3,177 students across the Alpena Public Schools district and the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Education Service District.
For parents, the standout choice academically is Hinks Elementary, which consistently earns 3-star ratings and holds the highest percentile rank among all local schools—despite serving a student body where 56% qualify for free/reduced lunch. In contrast, Lincoln Elementary faces the steepest challenges, with the highest poverty rate (78.8%) and notably weak science scores (29.4% proficiency vs. the district's 47.1%). At the secondary level, Alpena High School posts strong SAT reading scores (61% proficient, beating the state's 52.1%) and solid science results, but only 22.4% of students are proficient in SAT math. The alternative ACES Academy serves just 57 students with a low 8:1 student-teacher ratio, yet its graduation rate sits at a troubling 44.8%.
The most pressing issue district-wide is chronic absenteeism, which worsens dramatically with age: Hinks Elementary has a healthy 13% rate, but Thunder Bay Junior High School jumps to 56%, and Alpena High School reaches an alarming 74.2%—nearly triple the state average. Math proficiency lags behind reading at every grade level, while science is a relative strength. Besser Elementary shows promise in upper grades (59% 5th-grade science proficiency) but struggles with 3rd-grade reading at just 20.2%. Pied Piper School serves students with significant needs at an extraordinary per-student cost of $166,220. Overall, families will find bright spots like Hinks and Besser, but should be aware of the systemic absenteeism and math gaps that challenge the district's below-average 74.5% graduation rate.
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