Summary:
New Lothrop Area Public Schools serves the small, rural community of New Lothrop, Michigan, through just two schools—New Lothrop Elementary School (grades PK-6) and New Lothrop High School (grades 7-12)—together educating about 903 students with a strong 4-star district rating.
For parents, the standout feature here is the high school’s near-perfect 98.8% graduation rate, which beats the state average by nearly 15 points, paired with a dropout rate of just 1.1%. The elementary school shines brightest in math, where every grade level (3rd through 6th) scores at least 18 percentage points above the state average—5th graders hit 62.4% proficiency versus 32.2% statewide. Both schools also keep chronic absenteeism remarkably low (7.4% elementary, 10.8% high school) compared to Michigan’s 27.9%, which likely fuels their academic success. However, there are areas to watch: elementary ELA scores dipped in 3rd and 6th grades from the prior year, and 11th graders show a stark 45-point gap between SAT reading/writing (72.7% proficient) and SAT math (27.3% proficient), even though the math score still edges out the state average. The high school also spends significantly more per student ($16,500) than the elementary school ($9,825), a difference driven by the costs of running a small secondary program with specialized facilities.
Overall, this district is a consistent over-performer despite moderate economic challenges—about 35% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The elementary school’s math program is a clear strength worth celebrating, while the high school’s literacy results are exceptional. If you’re choosing between the two, know that both deliver solid, dependable results, but the high school’s graduation success and the elementary’s math prowess are the headline achievements. The district’s 84th percentile ranking among 625 Michigan districts confirms that New Lothrop offers a high-quality education in a close-knit setting.
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