Best Public Schools in Perry, MI

Perry Secondary Campus, Perry Upper Elementary, and Perry Elementary Early Learning Center serve 976 students in grades PK-12 within the Perry Public Schools district, a mid-Michigan community where the district ranks in the 55th percentile statewide.

The clear academic leader is Perry Secondary Campus (grades 7-12), which jumped from the 43rd to 61st percentile in one year and now ranks 313th out of 800 Michigan high schools. It boasts an 86.4% graduation rate (above the state's 84.0%) and a remarkably low 2.4% dropout rate—less than a third of the state average. Science is a standout subject here, with 11th graders scoring 43.8% proficiency versus 35.2% statewide. However, math remains a persistent weakness: only 18.8% of 11th graders are proficient on the SAT Math section, compared to 54.7% in reading. At the other end, Perry Elementary Early Learning Center (PK-2) has the district's lowest student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) and highest per-student spending ($18,836), reflecting its intensive early-childhood focus. The middle school, Perry Upper Elementary (grades 3-6), is the district's weakest link, ranking in the 44th percentile and dragging down the overall district rating.

The most alarming trend is a dramatic "5th grade slump" at Perry Upper Elementary: math proficiency collapsed from 36.4% in 4th grade to just 10.1% in 5th grade, while ELA fell from 38.5% to 20.3%. Social studies proficiency was a dismal 7.6% versus the 27.5% state average. Yet 6th graders rebound strongly (55.1% ELA, 44.9% math), suggesting a possible cohort issue or transition problem rather than systemic decline. Encouragingly, chronic absenteeism across all three schools (14-17%) is far below the state's 27.9%, and free/reduced lunch rates are relatively modest (31-37%). The district's $5,088 per-student spending gap between the Early Learning Center and Secondary Campus highlights its investment in early grades, but the persistent math deficits—especially the 36-point gap between SAT reading and math proficiency—signal a critical area for intervention before students reach college.