Summary:
The city of Calumet, Michigan, is served by four schools—CLK Elementary School (grades K-5), Washington Middle School (grades 6-8), Calumet High School (grades 9-12), and Copper Island Academy (grades K-10)—educating roughly 1,682 students in a small, close-knit Upper Peninsula community.
For parents, the standout choice is Calumet High School, which has climbed 45 spots in state rankings to the 84th percentile. It posts an 89.6% graduation rate (well above the state’s 84%) and a tiny 1.6% dropout rate. Its 11th graders excel in reading/writing (69.7% proficient vs. 52.1% statewide) and science (56.7% vs. 35.2%), though math remains a relative weak spot at 31.9%. Meanwhile, Copper Island Academy is a surprising gem: despite being an alternative school with the lowest per-student funding ($10,637), its 7th-grade ELA proficiency (72.2%) nearly doubles the state average, and its 8th-grade science (61.1%) is exceptional. Washington Middle School offers the district’s best attendance (14.2% chronic absenteeism) and solid 7th-grade scores, but its 6th-grade math proficiency plunged from 55.4% to 34.1% in one year—a red flag for incoming students. CLK Elementary School starts strong in 3rd grade (59.5% math proficiency) but slides sharply by 5th grade (17.3% math), suggesting a need for extra support in upper elementary.
The Public Schools of Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw district achieves 4-star ratings across all three of its schools with per-student spending around $14,000—proving efficiency. However, chronic absenteeism jumps from 14.2% at the middle school to 30.4% at the high school, a gap worth addressing. Free/reduced lunch rates range from 37.7% to 49.4%, indicating moderate economic diversity. Overall, this district offers strong literacy and science outcomes, but math proficiency lags across all grade levels, and the elementary-to-middle school transition shows notable volatility.
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