High Schools in Westwood Community School District

The Westwood Community School District operates three high schools serving grades 9-12 in a predominantly economically disadvantaged area of Michigan, with a combined enrollment of roughly 554 students and free/reduced lunch rates between 78% and 100%.

For parents, the standout choice is clearly Robichaud Senior High School, which is the district's strongest performer by a wide margin. Despite serving a high-poverty population, Robichaud achieves an 82% graduation rate—nearly matching the state average of 84%—and its 4.4% dropout rate is actually better than the state's 7.1%. It also has the most favorable student-teacher ratio at 13.5:1 and spends the most per student at $23,817. In contrast, Westwood Virtual Academy presents a troubling paradox: it has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate (14.2%, better than the state average) yet the worst graduation rate (30%) and highest dropout rate (24%). This school's extraordinary 153.9:1 student-teacher ratio and lowest per-student spending ($9,807) suggest students are logging in but receiving virtually no meaningful instruction. Westwood North Academy, the smallest school with just 52 students and a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, struggles with a 46.4% graduation rate and 28.5% dropout rate, though it lacks recent test data, making current performance difficult to assess.

Across the district, academic proficiency is alarmingly low. At Robichaud, only 23.2% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT reading and writing, while 10th-grade PSAT math proficiency sits at just 4.7%—compared to 31.5% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is a severe issue at Robichaud (61.3%), yet its graduation outcomes remain respectable, suggesting effective interventions. The district's overall 3rd-percentile ranking masks significant internal variation: Robichaud performs far better than the district average, while Westwood Virtual Academy's catastrophic results drag down the district's metrics. For parents, Robichaud is the clear choice if a traditional setting is preferred, but the virtual academy's model appears fundamentally broken at current funding levels, and Westwood North Academy's lack of accountability data warrants caution.