Mancelona Public Schools

Mancelona Public Schools is a small, rural district in Michigan serving about 773 students across three schools—an elementary school (PK-4), a middle school (5-8), and a high school (9-12)—with a predominantly low-income population and free/reduced lunch rates above 73% at every level.

The standout is Mancelona High School, which made a dramatic leap from the 28th to the 71st percentile in one year, earning a 4-star rating. Its 11th graders post exceptional science proficiency (52.6% vs. 35.2% statewide) and social studies scores (52.6% vs. 43.2%), while the graduation rate of 86.7% tops the state average. In contrast, Mancelona Middle School is a consistent 3-star performer but shows a troubling math decline—7th grade proficiency sits at just 16.7%, half the state rate—and the highest chronic absenteeism in the district at 40.1%. Mancelona Elementary School is the area of concern, ranked in the 42nd percentile (2 stars), with 3rd grade math (29.4%) and ELA (27.5%) well below state averages, though 4th grade math (42.9%) actually exceeds the state.

District-wide, chronic absenteeism exceeds the state average at every school, and the middle school spends the most per student ($16,508) yet struggles most academically—suggesting resource allocation, not just funding, needs attention. The high school’s success despite 73.66% free/reduced lunch eligibility proves high-poverty schools can excel. A clear "middle school dip" emerges: 4th grade math beats the state by 3.5 points, but by 7th grade math falls 16.6 points below. Encouragingly, 9th graders show strong PSAT ELA skills (67.3% vs. 60.2% statewide), and the district’s overall ranking improved to the 58th percentile, signaling positive momentum despite the elementary school’s ongoing challenges.