Hillsdale Community Schools

Hillsdale Community Schools is a mid-sized Michigan district serving about 1,259 students across five campuses—two elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools—in a predominantly economically disadvantaged area where free/reduced lunch rates range from 47% to 75%.

For parents, the standout option is Hillsdale High School, which posts a 92.7% graduation rate—nearly 9 points above the state average—and a dropout rate of just 3.1%, despite nearly half its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Its ranking jumped from the 20th to 55th percentile in one year before settling at the 45th. At the middle school level, Davis Middle School excels in math: 5th graders hit 36.1% proficiency (above the state's 32.2%), and 8th graders beat the state on PSAT math (36.9% vs. 33.2%). However, its English Language Arts scores lag state averages by 8–11 points across grades 5–7. Gier Elementary School shows promising ELA gains (3rd grade up 5.4 points, 4th grade up 6.0 points year-over-year), but all its proficiency rates remain 8–15 points below state averages.

The district's biggest red flag is Horizon Alternative School, which serves the most at-risk students (74.55% free/reduced lunch, 39.7% chronic absenteeism) yet receives the lowest per-student funding ($7,604) and has a staggering 55:1 student-teacher ratio—compared to Bailey Early Childhood Center's $22,297 per student and 4.6:1 ratio. Horizon's graduation rate is just 64.2%. Chronic absenteeism is also high at Bailey (37.1%), nearly double the district average. Across all schools, ELA proficiency is the district's most consistent weakness, though the district's overall chronic absenteeism (22.5%) beats the state's 27.9%. The stark spending disparities—from $7,604 to $22,297 per student—raise serious equity questions for families considering this district.