Summary:
Ishpeming, Michigan, is served by 6 public schools—2 elementary, 1 middle, and 3 high schools—enrolling about 1,716 students across two districts: the higher-performing NICE Community School District and the lower-performing Ishpeming Public School District No. 1.
For parents, the standout choice is Aspen Ridge Elementary School, which serves grades PK-8 and leads the area academically. It ranks in the 76th percentile statewide, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency at 60% (state: 38.2%) and 5th grade science at 58.4% (state: 40%). Its district, NICE Community, ranks in the 75th percentile (4 stars). In contrast, Birchview School (PK-4) struggles badly—4th grade math proficiency is just 8.33% versus the state’s 39.4%, and its ranking fell from the 40th to the 15th percentile in two years. At the high school level, Westwood High School (NICE district) outperforms Ishpeming High School (Ishpeming district) on SAT reading (56.6% vs. 40.5%) and math (21.7% vs. 11.9%), and has a better graduation rate (90.1% vs. 84.4%). Ishpeming Middle School falls in between, with 8th grade PSAT ELA at 60.9% but math at just 10.9%.
A critical, area-wide weakness is middle school math—even Aspen Ridge’s 8th grade PSAT math proficiency is only 17.1% (state: 33.2%). Chronic absenteeism is highest at Westwood High (36.9% vs. state 27.9%), despite its strong outcomes. The tiny IshpemingNegauneeNICE Community Educational Division (22 students) has a 20% graduation rate and 50% dropout rate, reflecting a highly at-risk population. Notably, Ishpeming High School spends the most per student ($19,267) yet posts below-average scores, while Aspen Ridge spends less ($16,398) and achieves far better results—suggesting resource allocation matters more than raw funding. Positive trends include Aspen Ridge improving from the 65th to 76th percentile and Westwood High rising from the 43rd to 66th percentile over two years.
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