Summary:
There is one high school in the Alternative Educational Academy of Ogemaw County district, serving grades 6 through 12 in West Branch, Michigan, with a total enrollment of 128 students.
Alternative Educational Academy of Ogemaw County is an alternative education program facing significant challenges, with a 27.5% graduation rate and a 32.5% dropout rate compared to state averages of 84% and 7.1%, respectively. Chronic absenteeism affects 62.1% of students, more than double the state rate of 27.9%. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 77.34% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Per-student spending is $13,092, yet the student-to-teacher ratio is a high 26.2:1, which raises questions about how funds are allocated given the lack of small class sizes. The school has maintained a 1-star rating, with its state ranking dropping from 619th out of 743 schools in 2023-2024 to 699th out of 800 in 2025-2026.
Despite these struggles, there is a remarkable bright spot: 8th grade ELA proficiency jumped from 20% in 2024-25 to 63.6% in 2025-26, nearly matching the state average of 64.8%. However, a dramatic "cliff effect" appears between 8th and 9th grade, as 9th grade ELA proficiency falls to just 19.2%, a 44-point decline. This suggests either a uniquely high-performing 8th grade cohort or significant academic disengagement upon entering high school. Test scores in other subjects remain below state averages, with 11th grade science at 30% (state: 35.2%) and 8th grade social studies at 21.4% (state: 47%). The data suggests that middle school students may be responding better to the alternative model than high school students, and that interventions targeting chronic absenteeism and high school engagement could yield significant improvements. The 8th grade success story deserves study as a potential model for other grade levels.
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