Summary:
New Lothrop Area Public Schools is served by a single high school, New Lothrop High School, which enrolls 398 students in grades 7-12 in a moderate-income, rural Michigan community. The district ranks in the 84th percentile statewide (103rd of 625 districts) with a 4-star rating, and the school stands out for exceptional student outcomes, including a 98.8% graduation rate versus the state’s 84.0% and a remarkably low 1.1% dropout rate.
Academically, New Lothrop High School consistently outperforms state averages in English language arts across all grade levels, with the most striking advantage in 11th grade SAT evidence-based reading and writing: 72.7% proficiency compared to 52.1% statewide. Early-grade math and science are also strong, with 7th grade math at 50.0% proficiency (state: 33.3%) and 8th grade science at 58.1% (state: 39.2%). However, math proficiency erodes as students advance—by 10th grade PSAT math, the school’s 30.4% falls below the state’s 31.5%, and 11th grade SAT math (27.3%) barely edges out the state average (26.5%). Social studies shows a similar pattern, with 8th grade proficiency (51.6%) near the state average but 11th grade proficiency (36.4%) dropping well below the state’s 43.2%.
Chronic absenteeism is a clear strength at just 10.8%, far better than the state’s 27.9%, though slightly above the district’s 8.9%. The school’s state ranking has fluctuated—from the 64th percentile in 2023-2024 to 76th in 2024-2025, then 71st in 2025-2026—despite stable strong outcomes, suggesting broader statewide shifts rather than declining performance. With per-student spending of $16,500 and an 18.5:1 student-teacher ratio, the school achieves efficient results, though the widening math gap in upper grades and below-average 11th grade social studies warrant attention. Year-over-year volatility in 7th grade ELA (63.8% to 46.1%) also merits monitoring to distinguish cohort effects from systemic changes.
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