Best Public Schools in Napoleon, MI

The city of Napoleon, Michigan, is served by the Napoleon Community Schools district, which operates four schools—one elementary, one middle, and two high schools—for approximately 1,290 students in grades PK-12. This district presents a stark tale of two educational experiences, with standout success at some schools and significant challenges at others.

For parents, the most important takeaway is the dramatic difference between the two high schools. Napoleon High School is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide with a 94.2% graduation rate and a remarkably low 1.4% dropout rate. Its students outperform state averages in SAT reading/writing and 9th-grade PSAT ELA. In contrast, Ackerson High School is in crisis, with only a 24.0% graduation rate, an 84% chronic absenteeism rate, and a 20% dropout rate. Serving a far more economically disadvantaged population (73.81% free/reduced lunch), Ackerson also receives less funding per student ($13,357) than Napoleon High ($16,169), suggesting resources are not aligned with student needs. At the elementary level, Ezra Eby Elementary School shows strong performance, particularly in 5th-grade science (62.9% proficient, nearly 23 points above the state) and ELA (58.4% vs. 43.8% state).

However, there are district-wide concerns. Napoleon Middle School has seen its ranking decline for three straight years, now sitting at the 47th percentile, with 7th-grade ELA proficiency at just 19.3%—less than half the state average. Mathematics is a systemic weakness across all grade levels, with proficiency consistently below state averages, including an 11th-grade SAT math rate of only 20.3%. Even at the best schools, chronic absenteeism hovers around 20%, and the district's spending varies by nearly $5,000 per student. While Napoleon High shows a positive three-year trajectory, the district must address the severe high school disparity, reverse the middle school decline, and reconsider how it allocates resources to its most vulnerable students.