Ubly Community Schools

Ubly Community Schools is a small, rural district in Ubly, Michigan, serving about 613 students across two schools on a shared campus: Ubly Community Elementary School (grades K-5) and Ubly Community JrSr High School (grades 6-12). The district ranks in the top 18% of Michigan districts with a 4-star rating, and both schools post results that frequently exceed state averages despite moderate poverty levels (about 40% free/reduced lunch).

The high school is the district’s standout performer, earning a 97.6% graduation rate (vs. 84% statewide) and a dropout rate nearly three times lower than the state average. Its state ranking has climbed dramatically from 351st to 171st over three years. College readiness is a clear strength: 9th graders hit 84.4% proficiency in PSAT ELA (24 points above state), and 11th graders scored 63.6% on SAT reading/writing. The elementary school excels in 5th grade, where science proficiency reaches 71.1% (31 points above state) and ELA hits 63.2% (19 points above). However, the elementary school shows a puzzling dip in 4th grade ELA (29.2% vs. 41.3% statewide), suggesting a possible cohort effect or instructional gap that resolves by 5th grade.

Attendance is a district-wide triumph—chronic absenteeism is just 5-7% compared to the state’s 27.9%—likely fueling academic gains. The most concerning outlier is 11th grade science, where only 12.1% of students are proficient (23 points below state), a steep drop from the elementary school’s strong science results. Math scores are consistently above average but less dominant than ELA, indicating a literacy-focused strength. With a 14:1 student-teacher ratio at the elementary level and higher per-student spending ($16,151), the district invests in small classes and achieves outsized results, making it a compelling choice for families seeking a tight-knit, high-performing rural school community.