Best Public Schools in Davison, MI

The city of Davison, Michigan, is served by the Davison Community Schools district, which includes 9 schools—five elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools—educating roughly 5,442 students in a predominantly suburban setting.

For parents, the standout school in the district is Hill Elementary School, which ranks in the 90th percentile statewide and has earned 4-5 star ratings for three consecutive years. Hill’s third-grade math proficiency (73.5%) is more than 30 points above the state average, and its chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.2% is the lowest in the district—far better than the district average of 21.4%. In contrast, Davison Alternative Education struggles significantly, ranking in the bottom 7th percentile with a 62.7% graduation rate and a 55.4% chronic absenteeism rate, despite spending the most per student ($19,068) and having a 6:1 student-teacher ratio. Among traditional schools, Davison High School is a consistent performer, graduating 96.8% of students—well above the state’s 84.0%—while Davison Middle School posts strong 8th-grade social studies (66.5%) and PSAT ELA (75%) proficiency rates.

Key takeaways for families include a notable math gap that emerges early—Siple Elementary School’s third-grade math proficiency (34.2%) falls below the state average, and SAT math at the high school (27%) barely matches the state. Chronic absenteeism is the hidden variable: schools like Thomson Elementary School (24.1%) and Siple (20.8%) show higher rates and lower achievement, while Hill’s low absenteeism correlates with its success. The district overall outperforms state averages in graduation rate (+8.9 points), dropout rate (3.4% vs. 7.1%), and most tested subjects, though Central Elementary School and Gates Elementary School show mid-range results. Parents should watch the elementary-to-middle transition dip in ELA and consider attendance patterns when choosing schools.