Summary:
There is one high school in the Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County district, serving grades 6 through 12 in Tawas City, Michigan, with a total enrollment of 171 students.
Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County is an alternative school facing significant challenges, with 83% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 71.7%. The school's graduation rate is 26.4% and its dropout rate is 27.5%, both far worse than state averages. Test scores are below state averages across most subjects, with the largest gaps in social studies (20-24 points behind). However, there are signs of progress: the school's state percentile ranking improved from the 16th to the 29th percentile over two years, and 8th grade ELA proficiency reached 61.5% in 2025-2026, just 3.3 points below the state average. The student-teacher ratio is 23.6:1, and per-student spending is $12,088.
For parents, this school serves students who have struggled in traditional settings, and its low metrics must be viewed in that context. The most urgent issue is chronic absenteeism, which directly impacts academic outcomes. While the graduation rate is low, the school provides a last opportunity for many at-risk students to earn a diploma. Year-over-year data shows improvement in most subject areas, including a 6.4-point gain in 11th grade science and a 19.8-point jump in 8th grade ELA. The school remains in the bottom third of Michigan high schools, but its upward trajectory suggests it is making genuine progress despite serving a highly disadvantaged population.
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