Best Public Schools in New Baltimore, MI

New Baltimore, Michigan, is served by three public schools within the Anchor Bay School District, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 69th percentile statewide, offering education from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade within the city limits. The standout institution is Anchor Bay Middle School North, a 5-star school ranking in the 91st percentile of Michigan middle schools, dramatically outperforming its feeder elementary schools. For example, its 8th-grade PSAT English Language Arts proficiency rate is 81.3%, a remarkable 16 points above the state average, and its Social Studies proficiency (70.9%) towers over the state average by nearly 24 points. In contrast, Ashley Elementary School (69th percentile) and Lighthouse Elementary School (53rd percentile) both hold 3-star ratings, with Ashley showing more consistent performance despite a slight dip from its 87th percentile peak.

Key metrics reveal a district-wide strength in attendance, with chronic absenteeism rates (11.8% at Ashley, 14.2% at the middle school, and 14.3% at Lighthouse) all roughly half the state average of 27.9%. Economically, the schools serve relatively affluent populations, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 14.61% at the middle school to 26.53% at Lighthouse. Interestingly, per-student spending does not align with outcomes: Ashley spends the most ($15,892) yet trails the middle school, which spends the least ($14,510). Student-teacher ratios also vary, with Ashley having the smallest classes (16.6:1) and the middle school the largest (20.3:1).

Perhaps the most notable finding is the divergence between the two elementary schools, which serve identical grade configurations (PK-4) and have nearly identical enrollments (441 students each). Lighthouse has declined sharply from the 84th to the 53rd percentile over three years, while Ashley has remained more stable. However, Lighthouse posted exceptional 5th-grade results in 2024-2025 (68% proficiency in both ELA and Science), suggesting uneven performance across grade levels. Additionally, the middle school's 5th-grade scores are lower than its 6th-grade scores, indicating a possible transition adjustment period for students entering the middle school environment. Overall, while the middle school demonstrates elite-level achievement, the inconsistency between the two elementary schools raises questions about instructional alignment within the district.