Public Schools of Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw

The Public Schools of Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw district serves roughly 1,369 students across four schools in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, including one elementary school, one middle school, and two high schools, with an overall 4-star rating that places it in the 78th percentile statewide.

For parents, the standout choice is clearly Calumet High School, which ranks in the 84th percentile and has improved significantly over the past two years. It posts strong graduation rates (89.6%) and excels in English and science, with SAT reading/writing proficiency nearly 18 points above the state average. Its main weakness is math, where only about 32% of students are proficient, though that still beats the state. Washington Middle School is also a reliable performer, with 7th-grade math proficiency (52.6%) nearly 20 points above the state and strong science and social studies scores. The most concerning trend is at CLK Elementary School, where 3rd graders outperform state averages by double digits, but by 5th grade, proficiency collapses—math drops to just 17.3% versus the state's 32.2%. This suggests a serious academic slide in upper elementary that parents should monitor closely. CHSHorizons School serves a high-need alternative population and struggles significantly, with a 57.1% graduation rate, a 45.1% chronic absenteeism rate, and a 1-star ranking despite receiving the highest per-student funding in the district.

Attendance is a district-wide concern at the secondary level—Calumet High School's chronic absenteeism rate (30.4%) exceeds the state average, while CHSHorizons tops 45%. However, the district shows genuine strength in science and social studies at both middle and high school levels, with proficiency rates often exceeding state averages by 10 to 20 points. The stark contrast between the high-performing traditional schools and the struggling alternative program, combined with the elementary-to-middle school rebound, suggests that while the district has effective instruction in certain grades and subjects, there are notable gaps in upper elementary and alternative education that warrant attention.