Summary:
North Adams-Jerome Public Schools is a small, rural Michigan district with two schools—North Adams-Jerome Elementary School (PK-5, 138 students) and North Adams-Jerome Middle/High School (6-12, 163 students)—serving about 301 students in a high-poverty area where 62-75% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout story here is the middle/high school’s remarkable graduation rate of 97.1%, far exceeding Michigan’s 84.0% average, with a dropout rate of just 2.8% versus the state’s 7.1%. However, this success in keeping students through graduation does not translate to college readiness. Only 30.8% of 8th graders and 35.7% of 9th graders are proficient in PSAT English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 64.8% and 60.2%, and just 10.7% of 9th graders are proficient in PSAT math versus 33.5% statewide. The elementary school shows more inconsistency: 4th grade ELA proficiency nearly matches the state (40% vs. 41.3%), but 5th grade ELA plunges to 15% versus the state’s 43.8%. In math, 3rd and 4th graders score 26.3% and 26.7% proficient, respectively, both well below state averages.
Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, affecting 36.0% of elementary and 33.9% of middle/high students, above the state’s 27.9%. Despite spending above average per student ($14,606 elementary, $13,530 middle/high) and maintaining favorable student-teacher ratios (13:1 and 14.2:1), academic outcomes lag. Encouragingly, the elementary school improved from the 13th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 25th percentile in 2025-2026, and 4th grade ELA jumped from 25% to 40% year-over-year. For parents, this district offers strong student retention and a supportive environment, but families should be aware of significant gaps in academic proficiency, particularly in middle school math and reading, which may require supplemental support.
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