Tawas Area Schools

Tawas Area Schools is a unified district in Tawas City, Michigan, serving approximately 1,124 students across three schools—Clara B Bolen Elementary School (PK-4), Tawas Area Middle School (5-8), and Tawas Area High School (9-12)—with a district-wide 4-star rating and a 72nd percentile ranking among Michigan districts.

Tawas Area High School is the clear standout, boasting a 97.6% graduation rate (13.6 points above the state) and a zero dropout rate. It leads the district in science (52.5% proficient) and social studies (59.3%), both roughly 17 and 16 points above state averages, respectively. The high school also posts strong SAT reading/writing scores (63% vs. 52.1% statewide). In contrast, Tawas Area Middle School shines in specific areas—8th grade PSAT ELA (74.4%) and 5th grade science (54.5%) are standout results—while Clara B Bolen Elementary School shows the most dramatic improvement, with 3rd grade ELA jumping from 25.3% to 38.2% in one year, though its overall ranking (53rd percentile) trails the middle school (69th) and high school (76th).

The district’s biggest challenge is math: proficiency lags state averages at nearly every grade level, from 3rd grade (11.3 points below) through middle school, and only barely exceeds state at the high school SAT level (28.4% vs. 26.5%). Meanwhile, ELA and science strengths compound with age, with high school students outperforming state averages by 7–17 points. Chronic absenteeism is below state averages at all three schools, though the high school’s rate (27.2%) is notably higher than the elementary (18.3%) and middle (19.8%) schools. Per-student spending rises with grade level—from $13,349 at the elementary to $15,270 at the high school—which may help explain the secondary schools’ stronger outcomes. For parents, this district offers a cohesive, well-aligned curriculum with exceptional literacy and science results, but early and sustained math intervention appears to be the key area for growth.