Summary:
Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools is a 9-school district in the Flint/Swartz Creek area of Michigan serving roughly 3,500 students from early childhood through 12th grade, with four elementary schools, one middle school, and four high schools. The district overall ranks in the 30th percentile statewide, but that average masks a dramatic split between one exceptional school and several struggling ones.
The standout is Genesee Early College, which ranks in the top 8% of Michigan high schools with a 5-star rating, a 100% graduation rate, and SAT reading proficiency of 82%—more than double the district average. It also has the lowest poverty rate in the district. At the other end, CA Alternative Ed/Atlantis sits in the 9th percentile with a 59.4% graduation rate, an 18.8% dropout rate, and 64.2% chronic absenteeism. Among traditional schools, Rankin Elementary is the bright spot, jumping from the 34th to 50th percentile in one year, with 3rd grade math proficiency of 75.7%—nearly double the state average. Gladys Dillon Elementary spends the most per student ($20,471) but posts among the lowest 3rd grade scores, while Mott Middle College High School achieves an 87.5% graduation rate despite spending just $3,398 per student.
The district's biggest red flag is math: only 10.1% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT math, and middle school PSAT math proficiency is just 8.1% versus 33.2% statewide. Achievement gaps also widen dramatically as students age—early elementary gaps of 7-12 points behind the state balloon to 15-25 points by middle and high school. Chronic absenteeism affects 39% of students district-wide, with Carman-Ainsworth Middle School at 43%. The elementary-to-middle school transition is particularly harsh: 5th grade ELA proficiency averages around 35%, but 6th grade ELA at the middle school drops to just 12.8%. For parents, the takeaway is clear: Carman-Ainsworth High School is trending downward (18th percentile), while the early college options offer dramatically better outcomes—but access to those programs appears limited.
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