Summary:
Litchfield Community Schools is home to a single high school, Litchfield High School, which serves grades 6 through 12 with a small enrollment of 143 students in a rural Michigan community where 72% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
For parents, the most pressing concern at Litchfield High School is the student success crisis. The graduation rate sits at just 59%, compared to the state average of 84%, while the dropout rate is a staggering 22.7%—more than triple the state's 7.1%. This means roughly one in four students is leaving school without a diploma. Academic proficiency is also consistently below state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, only 23.5% of 11th graders were proficient in reading on the SAT versus 52.1% statewide, and 7th-grade math proficiency was just 9.38% compared to 33.3% in Michigan. The school's state ranking has dropped from the 40th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 19th percentile in 2025-2026, reflecting a significant recent decline.
Despite spending a substantial $15,316 per student, outcomes remain low, raising questions about resource allocation. However, there are a few bright spots. Eighth graders showed relative strength in social studies (33.3% proficient vs. 50.3% statewide) and PSAT reading (40% vs. 64.8%), suggesting a possible effective teacher or strong cohort. Chronic absenteeism (25.6%) is actually slightly better than the state average (27.9%), indicating students are showing up but may be disengaged once in class. Given the very small enrollment, year-to-year performance can swing dramatically based on a single cohort, making it hard to establish stable trends. Parents should weigh the low graduation and test scores heavily, while also considering the school's small size and the potential for individual attention despite the 21:1 student-teacher ratio.
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