High Schools in Fennville Public Schools

The Fennville Public Schools district in western Michigan operates two high schools serving grades 9-12: the large, traditional Fennville Public High School (383 students) and the much smaller Fennville Alternative High School (35 students), which serves students needing a non-traditional setting.

These two schools present dramatically different pictures. Fennville Public High School is the district’s academic leader, with a standout 97.9% graduation rate—far exceeding the district average of 80% and the state’s 84%. Its dropout rate is a mere 1.0%. The school has also improved its state ranking from the 20th to the 39th percentile over two years. In contrast, Fennville Alternative High School faces severe challenges: only 25% of its students graduate, 31.2% drop out, and 48% are chronically absent. This alternative school clearly serves a high-need population, and its metrics should not be compared directly to the traditional high school without that context.

At Fennville Public High School, a striking pattern emerges: 9th graders outperform state averages on the PSAT in both English (67.8% vs. 60.2%) and math (44.8% vs. 33.5%), yet by 11th grade, SAT proficiency falls well below state levels (36.2% vs. 52.1% in reading; 9.6% vs. 26.5% in math). This suggests difficulty sustaining academic growth through high school. Notably, the school achieves its high graduation rate despite a 37.9% chronic absenteeism rate, hinting at strong credit recovery options. Both schools serve predominantly low-income families (75-86% free/reduced lunch), a factor likely influencing the district’s overall absenteeism and test scores, which trail state averages.