Summary:
Bloomingdale Public School District contains just one high school, Bloomingdale Middle and High School, which serves grades 6 through 12 for about 516 students in a rural Michigan community where nearly two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
This combined middle and high school faces significant academic hurdles, ranking in the bottom quarter of Michigan schools with a 1-star rating. The most alarming trend is in mathematics: 10th-grade PSAT math proficiency collapsed to just 4.62% in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to a 31.5% state average—a staggering 27-point gap. Other grade levels show similarly low math scores, with 7th grade at 18.5% and 6th grade at 14.5% proficiency. English language arts scores are somewhat better but still below state averages, ranging from 18.9% proficiency in 7th grade to 39.6% on the 11th-grade SAT. The school does have one relative bright spot: 8th-grade science proficiency reached 36.7% in 2024-2025, coming within 4.4 points of the state average, suggesting a potentially effective program at that grade level.
Beyond test scores, the school struggles with student engagement and persistence. The 4-year graduation rate sits at just 71.4% versus the 84% state average, while the dropout rate of 12% nearly doubles the state's 7.1%. Chronic absenteeism affects 36.9% of students—over a third of the student body—which is almost certainly a major driver of poor academic outcomes. Notably, the district spends a substantial $18,397 per student, well above typical levels, yet this high funding has not translated into results. This suggests challenges run deeper than resources, likely tied to the high poverty rate (64.53%) and attendance issues. While some 2025-2026 ELA scores improved (6th grade jumped from 8.47% to 23.4%), the overall picture is of a school needing comprehensive support across academics, attendance, and student retention to reverse these concerning trends.
Thank you for your feedback!