Summary:
The Dowagiac Union School District in Michigan serves students from preschool through 12th grade across 7 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. The district faces significant challenges in improving academic outcomes, particularly at the elementary level, with wide disparities in proficiency rates between the highest and lowest performing schools.
Justus Gage Elementary School stands out as the top performer, with the highest proficiency rates in several subject areas compared to the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 52.2% of 5th graders were proficient in ELA, well above the district average of 38.7% and the state average of 44.4%. Kincheloe Elementary School also had strong ELA proficiency, with 51.3% and 55.3% of 3rd and 4th graders meeting standards in 2024-2025.
While Union High School has an overall performance below average, it stands out for having a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 82.8% and a lower dropout rate of 7.6% compared to the district. However, the district as a whole struggles with high poverty levels, with all schools having free/reduced lunch rates above 66%, and high chronic absenteeism rates around 29.5% in 2023-2024, which likely contribute to the academic performance challenges.
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