High Schools in Fitzgerald Public Schools

The two high schools in Fitzgerald Public Schools, located in Warren, Michigan, serve grades 9-12 and include a traditional comprehensive high school and a smaller virtual academy, both operating in a district facing significant economic challenges.

Fitzgerald Senior High School is the district's main campus with 861 students and stands out for its strong graduation rate of 93.7%, which exceeds both the district (87.4%) and state (84.0%) averages, while its dropout rate of 2.3% is remarkably low. However, this success contrasts sharply with academic performance: only 5.9% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT math and 27.8% in reading/writing, both far below state averages. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 57.1%, more than double the state rate, suggesting students may be doing just enough to graduate while missing substantial instructional time. Per-student spending is high at $17,433, yet year-over-year test score improvements remain marginal at just 1-2 percentage points.

In contrast, Fitzgerald Virtual Academy serves only 78 students and presents a counterintuitive profile. Despite serving a higher-poverty population (82.05% free/reduced lunch), it achieves much lower chronic absenteeism at 12.9%, indicating that students who remain enrolled are genuinely engaged. However, its graduation rate is just 55.3% with a 25.5% dropout rate—more than ten times higher than the traditional school. The virtual academy operates efficiently with a 5.1:1 student-teacher ratio and lower per-student spending of $9,810, yet achieves comparable proficiency rates in available subjects. The district appears to use this school as an alternative pathway for at-risk students, but the high dropout rate suggests additional support is needed. Mathematics proficiency is critically low across both schools, representing a systemic challenge that will impact students' post-secondary options regardless of which school they attend.