Caro Community Schools

Caro Community Schools is a small, rural district in Caro, Michigan, serving about 1,365 students across five schools: two elementary schools (McComb Elementary School for PK-2 and Schall Elementary School for grades 3-5), one middle school (Caro Middle School), and two high schools (Caro High School and Caro Alternative High School). The district holds a 2-star rating, ranking in the middle-to-lower tier of Michigan districts.

Caro High School is the clear standout, with a 94% graduation rate (well above the district’s 86.3% and state’s 84%) and 11th graders outperforming state averages in science (43.3% vs. 35.2%) and social studies (51.9% vs. 43.2%). However, its SAT math (22.1%) and reading (48.1%) scores lag the state. In contrast, Caro Alternative High School is struggling severely—only 33 students, a 41.1% graduation rate, a 29.4% dropout rate, and 56.5% chronic absenteeism. It also receives the least funding per student ($9,697) despite having the highest poverty rate (69.7% free/reduced lunch). Caro Middle School shows consistent below-state performance, especially in 7th grade math (17.3% vs. 33.3% state) and ELA (23.5% vs. 38.4%). Among elementary schools, Schall Elementary School has the lowest chronic absenteeism (18.6%) and near-state scores in 5th grade math and science, while McComb Elementary School spends the most per student ($17,102) but serves grades PK-2 with no test data.

Key takeaways for parents: Math proficiency declines sharply from elementary (31-37%) to middle school (17-28%), with 7th grade being a critical intervention point. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide issue (26.5% average), correlating with weaker outcomes—Schall Elementary School’s lower absenteeism aligns with its relatively stronger performance. Caro High School’s ranking has been volatile (67th to 38th to 56th percentile over three years), but its social studies proficiency jumped 18.6 points recently, suggesting effective strategies worth replicating. Meanwhile, Caro Alternative High School’s poor outcomes despite a favorable 8.5:1 student-teacher ratio highlight that resources alone aren’t solving its challenges. Overall, the district shows pockets of success at the high school level but faces systemic issues in math and attendance that need urgent attention.