Summary:
Carrollton Public Schools is a small Michigan district serving roughly 1,562 students across four schools—one elementary, one middle, and two high schools—in a predominantly low-income area where 74.5% to 85.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The district's standout is Carrollton High School, which posts an 89.5% graduation rate—well above the state average of 84%—and a 2.3% dropout rate, far better than the district's 10.6%. Its SAT reading proficiency (47.7%) nearly matches the state (52.1%). In stark contrast, Omni High School struggles profoundly: only 56% graduate, 26% drop out, and half its students are chronically absent. Carrollton Middle School and Carrollton Elementary School fall in between, with the elementary school showing math proficiency between 10-28% and the middle school's 6th/7th grade math proficiency dropping to just 5.9-7.8%—a catastrophic decline that continues into high school, where fewer than 5% of 9th graders are math-proficient on the PSAT.
Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide crisis, affecting 33.8% of elementary students, 46.2% of middle schoolers, and up to 50.3% at Omni High—all far above the state's 27.9%. Notably, spending doesn't predict success: the elementary school spends $19,349 per student yet earns only a 1-star rating, while Carrollton High spends $18,123 and achieves the best outcomes. There are bright spots, though—8th grade social studies (49%) and PSAT reading (59.2%) nearly match state averages, and Carrollton High's 11th grade science (31%) is close to the state's 35.2%. The district's overall 1-star rating masks real variation: both Carrollton High and Middle earned 2-star ratings, and Carrollton High has improved its percentile ranking over three years. For parents, the clearest takeaway is that Carrollton High School offers a proven path to graduation, while the district's biggest lever for improvement is tackling absenteeism and rebuilding math foundations early.
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