Hudson Area Schools

Hudson Area Schools is a small Michigan district serving approximately 1,368 students across four schools (PK-12), and it currently holds a 1-star rating, ranking in the 20th percentile statewide. The district’s standout performer is Hudson Area JRSR High School, which earns a 2-star rating and boasts a 91.3% graduation rate—far exceeding the district average of 61.9% and the state average of 84.0%. This school also shows the strongest ranking trajectory in the district and even surpasses the state average in 11th-grade science proficiency. In stark contrast, Hudson Technical Alternative is in crisis, with a 0-star rating, a 42.7% graduation rate, a 24.7% dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism at 53.5%—all dramatically worse than state averages.

Academic proficiency across the district lags state averages in nearly every subject and grade. Mathematics is the biggest challenge, with 5th-grade math proficiency at just 6.3% compared to the state’s 32.2%. Even the district’s best math performance (4th grade at 32.1%) barely approaches the state average. English Language Arts shows a troubling “6th-grade slump,” where proficiency drops from 26.0% in 5th grade to just 12.2% in 6th grade—a 53% decline. Chronic absenteeism is also a district-wide issue, averaging 30.0% versus the state’s 27.9%, with Hudson Middle School having the lowest rate at 18.2% and the alternative school the highest at 53.5%.

Resource allocation raises serious concerns. Lincoln Elementary School spends $13,284 per student, Hudson Middle spends $15,467, and JRSR High spends $10,382—but Hudson Technical Alternative spends only $5,716 per student despite serving the district’s most at-risk population (70.4% economically disadvantaged). Its student-teacher ratio of 136.5:1 is staggering. This inverse relationship between student need and funding suggests the district is not directing resources where they are needed most. While JRSR High shows some positive trends, the district’s urgent priorities should be addressing the alternative school’s underfunding, investigating the 6th-grade achievement drop, and implementing targeted math interventions across all grade levels.