Standish-Sterling Community Schools

The Standish-Sterling Community Schools district in Michigan operates 3 schools: 2 elementary schools (StandishSterling Central Elementary School and Sterling Elementary School) and 1 high school (StandishSterling Central JrSr High School). The district serves a community with a relatively high level of economic disadvantage, as evidenced by the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch across all three schools.

Among the standout schools in the district, StandishSterling Central JrSr High School has shown consistent improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from #277 in 2022-2023 to #171 in 2024-2025, placing it in the top 25% of Michigan high schools. The school has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and a 82.8% four-year graduation rate, though its 7.6% dropout rate is an area for improvement. At the elementary level, StandishSterling Central Elementary School has also demonstrated steady progress, moving from a #470 ranking in 2022-2023 to #305 in 2024-2025, placing it in the top 20% of Michigan elementary schools. The school's strong performance in English Language Arts, Math, and particularly in 5th grade Science, where it outpaced the state average by 25.3 percentage points, is noteworthy.

While the schools in the Standish-Sterling Community Schools district generally perform above the state average in most subject areas and grade levels, there are also areas for improvement, such as the relatively low proficiency rates in 11th grade SAT Math at the high school. The variation in spending per student and student-teacher ratios across the schools suggests that the district may be allocating resources unevenly, which could impact student outcomes. Overall, the data provides a comprehensive overview of the schools within the district, highlighting both areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.