Summary:
The Peck Community School District is a small, rural Michigan district serving about 376 students across two schools: Peck JrSr High School (grades 6-12) and Peck Community Elementary School (grades PK-5). With roughly two-thirds of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the district faces notable socioeconomic challenges but also shows clear pockets of academic strength.
Comparing the two schools, Peck JrSr High School stands out for its perfect 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate, far exceeding state averages of 84% and 7.1%. Its 6th graders outperform the state by 16 points in ELA and 7 points in math, and 9th graders exceed state PSAT ELA averages by 5 points. However, the school struggles significantly in later grades: 7th grade ELA and math scores fall 10-12 points below state averages, and 10th grade PSAT ELA proficiency is just 26.3% versus the state's 58%. Chronic absenteeism at 28.1% is also slightly above the state average. Meanwhile, Peck Community Elementary School shows a more consistent but concerning pattern, with 4th grade ELA and math proficiency at just 19.1% (roughly 20 points below state averages). The elementary school's 5th grade ELA proficiency collapsed from 69.2% to 33.3% year-over-year, and its overall state ranking fell from the 50th to 32nd percentile.
The most striking finding is the "middle school cliff": students excel in 6th grade but decline sharply by 7th grade, suggesting a transition or curriculum alignment issue. The elementary school spends $2,046 more per student than the high school ($16,083 vs. $14,037) with a lower student-teacher ratio, yet this hasn't translated into stronger test scores. Chronic absenteeism is dramatically lower at the elementary level (12.6% vs. 28.1%), which may correlate with academic patterns. Despite these challenges, the district's perfect graduation rate and strong early-grade performance in select subjects provide a foundation for targeted improvement, particularly around grades 7-10 and the elementary school's recent declines.
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