Suttons Bay Public Schools

Suttons Bay Public Schools is a small, high-poverty district in Michigan serving about 339 students across two schools: Suttons Bay Elementary Middle School (grades PK-8) and Suttons Bay Senior High School (grades 9-12).

The two schools present very different profiles. Suttons Bay Senior High School is the clear standout for keeping students on track: its 94.2% graduation rate and 2.8% dropout rate far exceed state averages, even though its SAT scores lag (31% reading, 26.7% science). In contrast, Suttons Bay Elementary Middle School struggles academically, especially in math, where proficiency ranges from 22.5% to 47.4% across grades—typically 10-17 points below state levels. However, the elementary school shows genuine strengths in 8th-grade science (50% proficient, +10.8 vs. state) and social studies (60%, +9.7 vs. state), while the high school also beats state averages in 11th-grade social studies (50%, +6.8).

The most pressing issue district-wide is chronic absenteeism: 54.4% of elementary/middle students and 37.4% of high schoolers miss enough school to be considered chronically absent—roughly double the state average of 27.9%. This likely drives much of the academic volatility, especially given tiny class sizes (15-25 students per grade) where one student can swing results by 20+ points. Notably, 3rd graders outperform all other grades by a wide margin (47.4% in both ELA and math), suggesting either an exceptional teacher or a systemic decline after that grade. The high school also spends an extraordinary $28,060 per student—2.5 times the national average—yet produces below-average test scores, raising questions about resource efficiency. For parents, the takeaway is mixed: the high school excels at graduating students, but both schools face serious attendance and math challenges that need urgent attention.