Summary:
Bay-Arenac Community High School is the sole high school in the Bay-Arenac Community High School district, serving grades 9 through 12 in Essexville, MI, with a total enrollment of 180 students.
This school serves a student body where 86% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a very high level of economic disadvantage. The most pressing concern for parents is the graduation rate, which stands at just 44.4% compared to the state average of 84.0%, while the dropout rate of 20.8% is nearly triple the state’s 7.1%. Chronic absenteeism affects 39.8% of students, well above the state’s 27.9%, and this likely contributes to lower academic outcomes. On state tests, 11th graders show 30% proficiency in both science and social studies, and 43.8% in SAT evidence-based reading and writing. The largest academic gap appears in 10th-grade PSAT English Language Arts, where only 35% are proficient versus 58% statewide. The student-teacher ratio is 18.8, and per-student spending is $12,834.
There is a cautiously positive trend: the school’s state ranking has improved from the 13th percentile in 2017-2018 to the 33rd percentile in 2025-2026, moving from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. However, the graduation and dropout rates remain the most critical issues, as they directly impact students’ future opportunities. While science and social studies gaps are relatively smaller than the ELA gap, the overall picture is of a school facing significant challenges tied to poverty and attendance. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the school is showing some improvement, the low graduation rate and high absenteeism demand urgent attention, and the school may need additional support to help students stay engaged and on track to earn a diploma.
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