Millington Community Schools

Millington Community Schools is a small, rural Michigan district of four schools—serving roughly 1,093 students in grades K-12—that earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 60th percentile statewide, with notable contrasts between its traditional schools and its tiny alternative program.

For parents, the standout is Millington High School, which leads the district with a 97.5% graduation rate (vs. 84% statewide), a 10.8% chronic absenteeism rate (vs. 27.9% statewide), and strong science and reading scores—44% proficiency in 11th-grade science and 61.8% on 10th-grade PSAT ELA. In contrast, Malc, the alternative high school with just 19 students, struggles severely: 55% chronic absenteeism, 68.4% poverty, and a lower 86.6% graduation rate. The middle school, Millington Junior High School, is improving its state rank (from the 36th to 52nd percentile in three years) but still posts math proficiency rates around half the state average. Meachum Elementary shows strong 5th-grade science (54% vs. 40% state) but volatile year-to-year scores due to small cohorts.

The district’s biggest red flag is math: proficiency collapses from roughly 40% in 4th grade to 15-19% in 6th-7th grade, and SAT Math at the high school sits at 15.5% vs. 26.5% statewide—a systemic issue. Yet science is a consistent strength across all grade levels, and the three traditional schools keep absenteeism far below state norms. Spending doesn’t explain outcomes: the high school spends the most ($15,537/student) and performs best, while the elementary spends the least ($12,849) yet still excels. Ultimately, this district serves its mainstream students very well—especially in graduation and attendance—but faces a persistent math gap and a separate set of challenges at Malc that require targeted support.