Summary:
Tri County Area Schools is served by a single high school, Tri County Senior High School, which enrolls 473 students in grades 9-12 in Howard City, Michigan.
For parents, the most striking feature of Tri County Senior High School is its exceptional student retention. The graduation rate stands at 95.6%, far above the state’s 84.0%, and the dropout rate is just 1.7% compared to the state’s 7.1%. This means nearly every student who starts at the school finishes with a diploma—a powerful indicator of a supportive environment. However, this strength is tempered by a hidden challenge: chronic absenteeism affects 31.8% of students, notably higher than both the district’s 22.5% and the state’s 27.9%. While students are completing requirements, a significant portion are missing substantial instructional time, which may explain why academic test scores lag behind graduation outcomes.
Academically, the school shows a mixed but improving picture. In the most recent year, 11th-grade science proficiency jumped 9.2 points to 30.1%, and math proficiency rose 9.8 points to 26.0%, though both remain below state averages. Social studies (43.1%) and SAT reading/writing (50.4%) are nearly at state levels, with gaps of just 0.1 and 1.7 points respectively. A concerning pattern emerges in math: 9th graders score 11.9 points below the state, but by 11th grade the gap narrows to just 0.5 points—suggesting either effective remediation or that lower-performing students are not taking the test. With 31.5% of students on free/reduced lunch and per-student spending of $14,085, the school serves a moderately disadvantaged population while maintaining a 2-star state rating. The dramatic year-over-year gains in STEM subjects offer hope, but the 5.5-point decline in reading scores and persistent absenteeism remain key areas for parents to watch.
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