Summary:
Harrison Community High School is the sole high school in the Harrison Community Schools district, serving grades 9-12 in a rural Michigan community with 281 students and a high rate of economic disadvantage (76% free/reduced lunch eligibility).
This school presents a striking paradox: it posts a very strong graduation rate of 94.5% (well above the state’s 84.0%) and a lower dropout rate than the state average, yet academic proficiency lags significantly. On the 11th-grade SAT, only 33.3% of students are proficient in reading/writing and just 19.7% in math, compared to state averages of 52.1% and 26.5%, respectively. Science proficiency is particularly concerning at 13.6% versus the state’s 35.2%. The school’s state ranking has slipped from the 46th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 35th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 2-star rating. A notable bright spot appears in 9th grade, where PSAT scores in both ELA (59% proficient) and math (32.5%) nearly match state averages—but by 10th grade, proficiency drops dramatically to 42.6% in ELA and just 14.8% in math, suggesting students lose academic momentum after their freshman year.
Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge, with 32.5% of students missing significant school days (state: 27.9%), which likely contributes to the low test scores. The school spends a substantial $19,293 per student—a high figure that has not translated into strong academic outcomes. The math proficiency on the 11th-grade SAT did improve from 7.7% to 19.7% year-over-year, but remains well below state levels. For parents, this school offers a supportive environment that gets nearly all students to graduation, but families should be aware that academic mastery in core subjects—especially math and science—is a serious concern that may require supplemental support at home.
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