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Hillsdale Preparatory School

Public, Charter Grades K-8

Summary

Hillsdale Preparatory School is a public charter elementary school serving grades K-8 in Hillsdale, Michigan, with a student population of 88. While the school has a predominantly white student population, it faces several challenges, including declining academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and lower funding compared to nearby public schools.

Hillsdale Preparatory School's academic performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is generally lower than the state averages and the nearby public schools. For example, in 2022-2023, only 30% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 40.9%. The school's performance in math and science is also below state and local averages. Additionally, Hillsdale Preparatory School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.7% in 2017-2018 to 27.9% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the 15-23% range of the nearby Hillsdale Community Schools.

Compared to the nearby public schools, such as Lincoln Elementary School, HanoverHorton Elementary School, and Jennings Elementary School, Hillsdale Preparatory School's spending per student has decreased over the years, from $11,304 in 2020-2021 to $9,796 in 2022-2023, which is lower than the $12,054 to $17,959 range of the nearby public schools. This lower funding may be a contributing factor to the school's academic struggles.

Students ?

7.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,641

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

160 Mechanic Rd
Hillsdale, MI 49242-1053

(517) 437-4625

District: Hillsdale Preparatory School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Hispanic:

3.3%

See top rated Michigan public schools

Compare Hillsdale Preparatory School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2009 → 29th in 2023

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (29% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 28% Michigan)

!Ranking has slipped — down 70 percentile points since 2009

Students meeting standards (2022-2023) ?

This school29%

District avg29%

Michigan avg41%

Not ranked this year

Hillsdale Preparatory School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	26.9	1042 of 1470	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.1	740 of 1448	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.7	620 of 1466	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	75.6	317 of 1548	79.5%	★★★★☆
2015	80.5	257 of 1580	83.7%	★★★★☆
2014	46.6	890 of 1533	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.5	893 of 1563	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	54.9	729 of 1566	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.8	482 of 1552	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	88.5	17 of 1589	98.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	40.6	774 of 1253	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2016	89.1	71 of 894	92.1%	★★★★★
2015	52.7	423 of 919	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	35.3	641 of 921	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.6	563 of 919	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2018)38th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2022-2023) ?

English Language Arts35%-8 vs state

Science19%-20 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, April 20, 2019

Very horrible, especially for special needs. Worn down school, no curriculum. Cant keep teachers or students! Dont recommend Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, June 2, 2009

We have in 2008/2009 69 families at our school this year.
We are growing and learning more and more about education while here, we have three children in this school. We are one of the very few families with this amount of children here at one time. The curriculum is why we chose this school and the teachers! They do not get paid enough for all the time and rewards they give our children (with minimum to almost no insurance for them). They are here to teach. Close Quote

Schools Near Hillsdale Preparatory School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)				M-Step Math (2025)				M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hillsdale Preparatory School	Public, Charter	K-8	160 Mechanic Rd	Hillsdale	49242	Hillsdale County	Hillsdale Preparatory School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 437-4625	60	9	7.0	71.7%	55 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.0%)								(n/a)											$13,641	$2,284	$11,358
Gier Elementary School	Public	K-4	175 Spring St	Hillsdale	49242	Hillsdale County	Hillsdale Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 437-7347	434	28	15.6	63.1%	388 (89.4%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	25.6	1066^th of 1488 public elementary schools	28.4%		36.3	916^th of 1486 public elementary schools	38.4%	150	17.7	24.3			38.5	27.0					$13,036	$2,091	$10,945
Bailey Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	59 S Manning St	Hillsdale	49242	Hillsdale County	Hillsdale Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 437-4401	34	7	4.6	73.5%	27 (79.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.8%)								(n/a)											$22,601	$4,934	$17,667
Williams Elementary School	Public	K-5	440 Adrian Rd	Jonesville	49250	Hillsdale County	Jonesville Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 849-9175	512	34	15.1	54.5%	481 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	49.7	720^th of 1488 public elementary schools	51.6%		56.8	599^th of 1486 public elementary schools	59.7%	121	29.5	31.2	51.3		58.0	34.4	27.6		56.6	26.3	$13,579	$1,500	$12,080
North AdamsJerome Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 12 Knowles Rd	North Adams	49262	Hillsdale County	North Adams-Jerome Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 689-1701	138	11	13.0	74.6%	130 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	27.7	1042^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	30.0%		12.5	1296^th of 1486 public elementary schools	12.8%	254	18.8	25.0			43.8	28.6					$13,660	$1,621	$12,038
Reynolds Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-6	221 Strong St	Reading	49274	Hillsdale County	Reading Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 283-2188	404	23	17.6	57.4%	388 (96.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)	38	894^th of 1488 public elementary schools	39.9%		39.6	855^th of 1486 public elementary schools	42.5%	39	40.4	29.2	32.1	42.5	42.6	35.4	17.9	30.0	30.4	21.4	$13,643	$2,657	$10,986
Litchfield Elementary School	Public	K-5	210 Williams St	Litchfield	49252	Hillsdale County	Litchfield Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 542-2386	110	8	13.7	66.4%	102 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	18.2	1191^st of 1488 public elementary schools	20.0%		26.1	1080^th of 1486 public elementary schools	27.3%	111	20.0		20.0		26.7				20.0	20.0	$17,371	$2,403	$14,968
Pittsford Area Elementary School	Public	K-5	9304 Hamilton Rd	Pittsford	49271	Hillsdale County	Pittsford Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 523-3481	163	11	14.5	81.6%	153 (93.9%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)	8.9	1376^th of 1488 public elementary schools	7.5%		10.6	1331^st of 1486 public elementary schools	10.4%	45			10.3		16.1				14.3	10.7	$13,539	$1,595	$11,945
Jennings Elementary School	Public	K-5	44 E Liberty St	Quincy	49082	Branch County	Quincy Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 639-9885	408	26	15.4	36.8%	369 (90.4%)	3 (0.7%)	17 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.7%)	40.7	854^th of 1488 public elementary schools	42.6%		44.2	777^th of 1486 public elementary schools	47.7%	77	40.3	30.4			46.3	27.8					$13,672	$1,890	$11,782
HanoverHorton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	131 Fairview St	Hanover	49241	Jackson County	Hanover-Horton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 563-0103	462	25	18.5	37.2%	420 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	67.3	457^th of 1488 public elementary schools	69.3%		56.7	603^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	59.4%	146	57.1	55.4	41.0		64.3	50.0	36.1		44.6	38.6	$13,076	$1,204	$11,872

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillsdale Preparatory School

How many students attend Hillsdale Preparatory School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 60 students attended Hillsdale Preparatory School.

What district is Hillsdale Preparatory School in?

Hillsdale Preparatory School

What is the racial makeup of Hillsdale Preparatory School?

Students at Hillsdale Preparatory School are 92% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

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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.