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Vandenboom Alternative High School

Q: Is Vandenboom Alternative High School a good school?

Vandenboom Alternative High School ranks 518 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

518^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 35% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Vandenboom Alternative High School in Marquette, MI, serves 127 students in grades 9-12 within the Marquette Area Public Schools district, offering a smaller, more flexible learning environment for students who haven't thrived in a traditional high school setting.

Vandenboom is not a typical high school, and its numbers reflect that. Its graduation rate of 75% is well below the 97% at Marquette Senior High School and the 97.3% at Negaunee High School, but that comparison misses the point. This school is designed for students at high risk of dropping out, and its graduation rate has climbed dramatically from just 48.7% in 2020-2021, while its dropout rate has fallen from 8.2% to 2.5% over the same period. The school also spends significantly more per student ($17,525) than nearby traditional schools, funding smaller classes (a 14.9 student-teacher ratio) and extra support services. Notably, Vandenboom outperforms its regional peer, the IshpemingNegauneeNICE Community Educational Division, which has just a 20% graduation rate and a 50% dropout rate—showing Vandenboom is a relatively strong option among alternative schools.

The biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 63.4%—more than double the district average and nearly six times higher than Negaunee High School's 11.1%. This directly impacts academics, with math proficiency particularly low (16.7% of 9th graders vs. the 33.5% state average). However, the school shows real strengths with specific groups: it ranked in the 91st percentile for low-income students and the 84th percentile for female students in 2024-2025, and in the 87th percentile for special education students the year prior. For parents considering this school, understand that Vandenboom offers a genuine second chance with intensive support, but success depends heavily on a student's willingness to show up consistently.

127

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,525

Per pupil spending ?

47.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1175 Erie Ave
Marquette, MI 49855-1399

(906) 225-4321

District: Marquette Area Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.3%

Two or more races:

10.2%

American Indian:

4.7%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Vandenboom Alternative High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 13th percentile in 2015 → 35th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (35% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (75% vs 84%)

!High chronic absenteeism (63% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg58%

Michigan avg43%

518^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Marquette Area Public Schools

116^th of 625Marquette Area Public Schools among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.4	518 of 800	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	66.1	218 of 739	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	44.0	389 of 743	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.2	548 of 735	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.4	538 of 561	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	464 of 666	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	13.1	668 of 824	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.2	608 of 835	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.6	638 of 852	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.3	724 of 832	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.8	582 of 799	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.7	647 of 805	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.5	580 of 773	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.3	659 of 784	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.8	690 of 765	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	17.4	617 of 754	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	19.9	601 of 750	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	5.1	723 of 767	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	476 of 686	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	78.4	102 of 629	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	26.6	458 of 619	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.0	431 of 611	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	622 of 710	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	49.4	358 of 719	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	86.0	59 of 635	90.7%	★★★★★
2024	41.5	363 of 654	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	327 of 614	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	7.6	687 of 755	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	483 of 693	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.5	268 of 628	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	278 of 633	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	78.4	17 of 130	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	23.3	246 of 315	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	485 of 671	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	54.2	267 of 639	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.2	478 of 638	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	555 of 647	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	510 of 516	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	493 of 582	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	611 of 708	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2024)87th percentile+39 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)28th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts49%-10 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing38%-14 vs state

Social Studies34%-9 vs state

Science24%-11 vs state

Mathematics17%-16 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

This has got to be one of the best schools in our area; the teachers are wonderful and caring, and the students benefit from these teachers' outstanding performance. The curriculum which is offered there is on a level consistent with future success in college and/or other technical training.

I've had two of my children graduate from there, and three more will be. I have such a high regard for this school, that my husband, myself, and one other college student are volunteer "teachers" there now, teaching the local Native American language.

Again, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Vandenboom Alternative High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)			PSAT Mathematics (2026)			SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)		M-Step Math (2026)		M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Vandenboom Alternative High School	Public	9-12	1175 Erie Ave	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Marquette Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 225-4321	127	9	14.9	47.2%	102 (80.3%)	2 (1.6%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (10.2%)	33.4	518^th of 800 public high schools	35.3%		66.1	218^th of 739 public high schools	70.5%	300		55.6	44.4		16.7	391.1	37.9	418.3						24.1		34.5	$17,525	$349	$17,176
Marquette Senior High School	Public	7-12	1203 W Fair Ave	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Marquette Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 225-4254	940	48	19.5	17.3%	823 (87.6%)	7 (0.7%)	18 (1.9%)	6 (0.6%)	22 (2.3%)	2 (0.2%)	62 (6.6%)	88.1	63^rd of 800 public high schools	92.1%		89.4	57^th of 739 public high schools	92.3%	6		74.3	81.3		50.2	52.1	67.5	39.5						68.0		64.5	$13,731	$379	$13,353
Marquette Branch Prison	Public	9-12	1960 Us Highway 41 S	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(906) 226-6531	1	0			1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Negaunee High School	Public	9-12	500 W Arch St	Negaunee	49866	Marquette County	Negaunee Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 475-7861	474	26	18.3	34.0%	434 (91.6%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.3%)	82.3	101^st of 800 public high schools	87.4%		77.6	133^rd of 739 public high schools	82.0%	32		78.1	70.4		44.8	40.0	69.8	34.9						52.8		67.9	$13,915	$261	$13,654
Ishpeming High School	Public	9-12	319 E Division St	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	Ishpeming Public School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(906) 485-1066	172	13	12.7	39.0%	152 (88.4%)	3 (1.7%)	6 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.2%)	46.9	395^th of 800 public high schools	50.6%		44.4	412^th of 739 public high schools	44.2%	17		68.1	58.3		17.0	38.9	40.5	11.9						26.3		48.7	$19,267	$831	$18,436
IshpemingNegauneeNICE Community Educational Division	Public	7-12	325 S Pine St	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	Ishpeming Public School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(906) 475-4173	22	3	8.3	68.2%	19 (86.4%)	1 (4.5%)	1 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)								(n/a)																	$12,685	$987	$11,698
Westwood High School	Public	7-12	300 S Westwood Dr	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	NICE Community School District	No	No	No	No	(906) 485-1023	383	23	16.7	25.6%	349 (91.1%)	3 (0.8%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	11 (2.9%)	3 (0.8%)	8 (2.1%)	58.3	274^th of 800 public high schools	65.8%		63.1	245^th of 739 public high schools	66.8%	29		62.5	60.9		32.5	39.1	56.6	21.7						35.4		42.7	$15,044	$341	$14,703
Gwinn MiddleHigh School	Public	6-12	50 West State Highway M35	Gwinn	49841	Marquette County	Gwinn Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 346-9247	477	32	14.9	47.8%	386 (80.9%)	9 (1.9%)	27 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.2%)	41.5	439^th of 800 public high schools	45.1%		19.7	585^th of 739 public high schools	20.8%	146	60.0	53.1	50.8	20.0	14.1	16.4	50.0	37.0	23.6	19.0	19.4	11.4	26.0	28.3	40.3	39.1	$16,467	$1,183	$15,284

Frequently Asked Questions about Vandenboom Alternative High School

Is Vandenboom Alternative High School a good school?

Vandenboom Alternative High School ranks 518^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Vandenboom Alternative High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 127 students attended Vandenboom Alternative High School.

What is the racial makeup of Vandenboom Alternative High School?

Students at Vandenboom Alternative High School are 80% White, 10% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American.

What district is Vandenboom Alternative High School in?

Marquette Area Public Schools

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.