Lawton Community School District

The Lawton Community School District serves about 1,027 students across four schools—Lawton Elementary School (PK-4), Lawton Middle School (5-8), Lawton High School (8-12), and Lawton Accelerated Academic Center (5-12)—in a rural Michigan community where 53-73% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Lawton Elementary School is the district’s strongest academic performer, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 60th percentile statewide. Its 4th-grade ELA proficiency (53.6%) and 4th-grade math (43.5%) both exceed state averages, and chronic absenteeism is impressively low at 11.8%—less than half the state rate. Lawton Middle School shows the most dramatic improvement, jumping from the 43rd to 60th percentile in two years. Its 5th-grade math proficiency (48.8%) beats the state by 16.6 points, and social studies is a hidden strength at both 5th and 8th grades. However, 7th grade is a weak spot, with math (28.9%) and ELA (36.8%) hitting district lows. Lawton High School excels at keeping students on track—its 93.1% graduation rate far exceeds the state’s 84%—but academic performance lags, particularly in SAT math (17.7% proficiency, nearly 9 points below state). The Lawton Accelerated Academic Center serves just 26 highly at-risk students and faces severe challenges: a 33.3% graduation rate, 33.3% dropout rate, and 62.5% chronic absenteeism.

For parents, the key takeaway is that elementary and middle school students generally receive solid instruction, especially in ELA and social studies, with math showing a puzzling decline starting in middle school. The district’s overall 3-star rating masks a sharp drop-off at the high school level, where math proficiency erodes from 48.8% in 5th grade to just 17.7% by 11th grade. While Lawton High School successfully graduates students, families should ask about math support and college readiness. The alternative center clearly needs additional wraparound services, though its reported student-teacher ratio of 152.9:1 is likely a data error. Overall, this district offers strong early education but requires attention to secondary math and the transition to high school.