Boyne City Public Schools

Boyne City Public Schools is a small, four-school district in northern Michigan serving about 1,218 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and it ranks in the 85th percentile of Michigan districts. The district includes Boyne City Elementary School (grades K-4), Boyne City Middle School (grades 5-8), Boyne City High School (grades 8-12), and MorganShaw School, an alternative high school for grades 9-12.

For parents, the standout choice is Boyne City High School, which leads the district with a 93.1% graduation rate, a 2.3% dropout rate, and SAT reading and writing scores nearly 20 points above the state average. Boyne City Elementary School is also strong, especially in early math, where 3rd graders score 17.6 points above the state average. Boyne City Middle School shines in 8th grade science and social studies, with proficiency rates 23 and 18 points above state averages, respectively. However, the district’s biggest concern is MorganShaw School, which has a 59% graduation rate, a 68.2% chronic absenteeism rate, and a striking 61.5:1 student-teacher ratio—compared to roughly 15:1 at the other schools. This alternative school also serves the highest-need population, with 56.25% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

A key pattern is the “math cliff”: elementary students perform 14-18 points above state averages in math, but by middle school they are at or below state levels, and SAT math proficiency drops to just 29.3%. Meanwhile, the district excels in science and social studies at the secondary level, with 11th grade social studies proficiency 27.5 points above the state. Chronic absenteeism is low in traditional schools (13.5-17.8% vs. 27.9% statewide), and per-student spending ranges from $14,895 at MorganShaw to $17,616 at the high school—an inversion worth noting, since the highest-need school receives the least funding. Overall, the district is efficient and high-performing, but families should be aware of the stark disparities between MorganShaw and the rest of the district.