Best Public Schools in Powers, MI

The city of Powers, Michigan, is served by the North Central Area Schools district, which includes just two schools—North Central Area Senior High School (grades 9-12) and North Central Middle School (grades 6-8)—together educating roughly 161 students in a small, rural setting.

These two schools present very different academic profiles. North Central Area Senior High School is a standout in literacy and science, with 11th-grade science proficiency at 57.7% (22 points above the state average) and PSAT 10th-grade ELA at 73.5% (15.5 points above the state). However, its math scores are alarmingly low—just 12.5% to 14.7% proficiency on PSAT math, roughly half the state average. The high school also struggles with chronic absenteeism (37.2% vs. 27.9% statewide) and has seen its state ranking slide from the 91st to the 68th percentile over three years. In contrast, North Central Middle School excels in 8th-grade science (78.9% proficiency, nearly double the state rate) and shows strong 7th-grade math (44% vs. 33.3% statewide), but lags in 6th-grade ELA (18.2% vs. 37.5%). The middle school has much lower chronic absenteeism (16.1%) and serves a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students (59% free/reduced lunch) compared to the high school (39%).

For parents, the key takeaway is that this district offers a strong science pipeline from middle through high school, but math is a critical weakness at the secondary level. The high school spends significantly more per student ($17,859 vs. $10,329) and maintains a better student-teacher ratio (13.7:1 vs. 16:1), yet both schools have experienced declining rankings. Small class sizes—especially the middle school's 61 students—mean test scores can swing dramatically year to year, so it's wise to look at multi-year trends rather than a single year's results. The high school's graduation rate (88%) and low dropout rate (4%) are positive signs, but addressing the math gap and high school absenteeism should be priorities for the district.