South Haven Public Schools

South Haven Public Schools is a mid-sized Michigan district serving roughly 1,815 students across six schools—three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools—in a community where a majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The district’s standout performer is Baseline Middle School, which jumped from the 38th to the 53rd percentile in state rankings in a single year and now holds the district’s only 3-star rating. Its 8th-grade social studies proficiency (62.5%) is the highest in the district and well above the state average, while its science scores now match the state. North Shore Elementary is the most consistent elementary option, with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district (20.8%) and 5th-grade reading and science scores at or near state averages. By contrast, South Haven Alliance Campus SHAC faces severe challenges: a 42.8% graduation rate, 33.3% dropout rate, and 70.6% chronic absenteeism, though its tiny 4.2:1 student-teacher ratio shows intensive intervention efforts. South Haven High School posts a strong 88% graduation rate and reading scores above the state average, but its SAT math proficiency (14.4%) is critically low.

The most striking pattern is a district-wide math crisis—every school and grade level lags state averages in math, from 3rd grade through high school. Meanwhile, Lincoln School presents a puzzle: it receives the highest per-student funding ($16,052) yet saw 3rd-grade proficiency plummet by more than 20 points in both reading and math in one year. Maple Grove Elementary now outperforms Lincoln in both subjects, with math exactly at the state average. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern—only North Shore and Lincoln fall below the state average—but North Shore’s success suggests attendance interventions could boost achievement. Reading remains a relative strength across the district, providing a foundation for future improvement.