Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County

Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County is a single public alternative school in Tawas City, Michigan, serving grades 6 through 12 with 171 students and operating as its own district, Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County.

This school faces extraordinary challenges that set it far apart from typical Michigan schools. The graduation rate is just 26.4% compared to the state average of 84.0%, while the dropout rate of 27.5% is nearly four times the state rate. Chronic absenteeism affects 71.7% of students—more than 2.5 times the state average—making it nearly impossible for consistent academic progress. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 83% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Its state ranking has declined from the 16th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 29th percentile in 2025-2026, though it has maintained a 1-star rating throughout. With a student-teacher ratio of 23.6:1 and per-student spending of $12,088, the school appears to allocate resources toward support services rather than smaller class sizes, yet outcomes remain weak.

Despite the overall struggles, there are notable bright spots. Eighth-grade English Language Arts proficiency reached 61.5% in 2025-2026, nearly matching the state average of 64.8%—a rare success that suggests effective middle school literacy instruction. However, this advantage fades by high school, with 10th-grade ELA proficiency dropping to 42.4%. The most significant weakness is 11th-grade social studies, where only 19.1% of students are proficient versus 43.2% statewide. Encouragingly, 11th-grade science improved from 17.4% to 23.8% between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, though 8th-grade science declined over the same period. The enrollment-to-graduation pipeline is severely strained: with roughly 24 students per grade, only about 6 or 7 will graduate. Chronic absenteeism is likely the root cause driving low test scores, high dropout rates, and poor graduation outcomes. Any meaningful improvement will require aggressive interventions focused on attendance and student engagement before academic gains can be expected.