Bangor Public Schools (Van Buren)

Bangor Public Schools (Van Buren) serves approximately 951 students across four schools in Van Buren County, Michigan, including an elementary school (PK-4), a middle school (grades 5-8), a high school (grades 9-12), and an alternative K-12 academy. The district overall ranks in the 18th percentile statewide, but performance varies dramatically from school to school.

Bangor High School is the clear standout, ranking near the 40th-50th percentile in recent years—far above the district’s other schools. Its graduation rate of 83.3% nearly matches the state average, and it outperforms state averages in 11th-grade science and social studies. In contrast, Bangor Career Academy faces severe challenges: a 7.6% graduation rate, 51.2% dropout rate, and 90.4% chronic absenteeism, despite a very low student-teacher ratio of 5.3:1. South Walnut Elementary School ranks in the 7th percentile, with proficiency rates 20-30 points below state averages in most subjects, while Bangor Middle School ranks in the 25th percentile, showing near-state-average performance in 8th-grade ELA (55.4% vs. 64.8% statewide) but critically low math scores (6.5-11.3% vs. 31.9-33.3% statewide).

Math is the district’s most consistent weakness, with gaps of 20-25 percentage points versus the state at every grade level. Chronic absenteeism is also a district-wide crisis, ranging from 34% at the elementary and middle schools to 41.5% at the high school—all well above the state average of 27.9%. Notably, the high school outperforms its feeder schools relative to state averages, suggesting either academic growth during high school or that lower-performing students are diverted to the Career Academy. The district also spends the least per student at the Career Academy ($10,785) despite serving its most challenging population, while the high school spends the most ($18,877). For parents, the high school offers the most promising outcomes, while the elementary and middle schools require significant improvement, particularly in math and attendance.