Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Columbia Alternative Education

Public Grades 6-12

601^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 25% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Columbia Alternative Education is a small alternative school in Clarklake, MI, serving just 78 students in grades 6 through 12 as part of the Columbia School District.

This school is designed for students who haven't thrived in a traditional classroom setting, and the data reflects the significant challenges these students face. The most important thing for parents to understand is that the school's graduation rate is critically low at 42.1% for 2024-2025, compared to 84.8% for the district and 84.0% statewide. The dropout rate is also very high at 21.0%, and chronic absenteeism affects nearly 40% of students. Academic proficiency is well below district and state averages—for example, only 35.3% of 10th graders were proficient in English Language Arts versus 63.4% for the district. These numbers are volatile from year to year, which is common with such a small student body where the outcome of just a few students can dramatically shift percentages. It's also worth noting that a high percentage of students (over 46% in 2024-2025) qualify for free and reduced lunch, indicating a population with substantial economic needs.

To put this in perspective, the contrast with Columbia Central High School, located just 3.5 miles away, is stark—that school boasts a 93.0% graduation rate and only 1.0% dropout rate. However, Columbia Alternative Education isn't alone in its struggles; nearby alternative programs like Ackerson High School (24% graduation rate) and East Jackson Virtual Academy (42.8% graduation rate) show similarly poor outcomes, suggesting these challenges are systemic to alternative education models serving at-risk youth. One potential bright spot: the school's low-income students rank in the 29th percentile statewide, better than the school's overall 25th percentile ranking, suggesting it may be relatively more effective at supporting its economically disadvantaged students. Parents considering this school should understand it serves a high-need population and should visit and ask detailed questions about student support services before enrolling their child.

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,845

Per pupil spending ?

46.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

4460 N Lake Rd
Clarklake, MI 49234-9694

(517) 529-9400

District: Columbia School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.5%

Two or more races:

6.4%

Hispanic:

5.1%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Columbia Alternative Education to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2007 → 25th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2007

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (28% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (42% vs 84%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg46%

Michigan avg44%

601^st of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Columbia School District

192^nd of 625Columbia School District 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	21.0	601 of 800	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	671 of 735	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	647 of 824	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.7	629 of 852	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	5.6	832 of 832	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	20.5	602 of 765	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	10.8	664 of 754	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.6	597 of 750	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	3.2	749 of 767	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	12.4	586 of 710	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	513 of 719	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	15.6	530 of 611	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	581 of 707	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.3	608 of 671	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.6	626 of 647	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	626 of 708	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2018)17th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2023)13th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)9th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%-26 vs state

Social Studies27%-20 vs state

Science20%-17 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Columbia Alternative Education and help other families decide.

Rate Columbia Alternative Education

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Columbia Alternative Education

Load more schools when map is moved

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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Columbia Alternative Education	Public	6-12	4460 N Lake Rd	Clarklake	49234	Jackson County	Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 529-9400	78	5	15.2	46.2%	69 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.4%)	21	601^st of 800 public high schools	24.9%					(n/a)			35.3			371.2	391.3	380.7						20.0		26.7	$10,845	$521	$10,324
Columbia Central High School	Public	7-12	11775 Hewitt Rd	Brooklyn	49230	Jackson County	Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 592-6634	637	36	17.8	29.7%	569 (89.3%)	6 (0.9%)	25 (3.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.3%)	58.4	272^nd of 800 public high schools	66.0%		63.1	246^th of 739 public high schools	66.7%	26	71.8	57.8	68.4	41.8	30.1	44.2	51.1	24.5		56.6		39.6	46.4	37.2	60.9	37.2	$13,889	$543	$13,346
Jackson Preparatory Early College	Public, Charter	6-12	2111 Emmons Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Preparatory & Early College	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 705-5732	260	13	19.8	29.6%	168 (64.6%)	43 (16.5%)	19 (7.3%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	22 (8.5%)	50.1	368^th of 800 public high schools	54.0%		69	188^th of 739 public high schools	74.6%	180	74.2	67.4	55.6	48.4	23.9	33.3	54.8	11.9	45.8	48.4	25.0	9.7	58.1		70.0		$11,177	$268	$10,909
Jackson Area Career Center	Public	9-12	6800 Browns Lake Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 768-5163	0	36	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Ackerson High School	Public	9-12	121 W Brooklyn Rd	Napoleon	49261	Jackson County	Napoleon Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 905-5705	84	3	28.0	73.8%	76 (90.5%)	2 (2.4%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	30.1	543^rd of 800 public high schools	32.1%					(n/a)			26.7			344.7	33.3	362.8						33.3		33.3	$13,357	$596	$12,760
Napoleon High School	Public	9-12	201 West	Napoleon	49261	Jackson County	Napoleon Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 905-5705	381	17	23.0	31.0%	357 (93.7%)	3 (0.8%)	11 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	61.3	252^nd of 800 public high schools	68.5%		58.5	289^th of 739 public high schools	60.9%	37		69.0	65.9		28.7	34.1	60.8	20.3						40.5		43.2	$16,169	$562	$15,607
Vandercook Lake High School	Public	6-12	1000 E Golf Ave	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Vandercook Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 782-9044	258	19	13.5	73.3%	196 (76.0%)	12 (4.7%)	17 (6.6%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (11.6%)	22.4	596^th of 800 public high schools	25.5%		17.8	595^th of 739 public high schools	19.5%	1	48.6	35.5	35.1	330.6	353.2	21.6	30.0	388.0	8.7	14.3	1559.9	10.7	14.3	29.3	31.4	17.1	$19,218	$1,172	$18,046
Michigan Center JrSr High School	Public	7-12	400 S State St	Michigan Center	49254	Jackson County	Michigan Center School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 764-1440	700	33	21.0	44.1%	608 (86.9%)	14 (2.0%)	26 (3.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.9%)	27.1	558^th of 800 public high schools	30.3%		33.9	479^th of 739 public high schools	35.2%	79	47.9	47.4	55.4	13.8	14.4	20.8	37.1	11.3		23.2		17.2	25.3	17.5	39.8	23.7	$12,441	$1,105	$11,336
Jackson County Jail	Public	9-12	212 W Wesley St	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2208	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
East Jackson Secondary School	Public	7-12	1566 N Sutton Rd	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	East Jackson Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 764-1700	359	19	18.8	79.1%	262 (73.0%)	36 (10.0%)	25 (7.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	30 (8.4%)	28.6	552^nd of 800 public high schools	31.0%		24	547^th of 739 public high schools	26.0%	5	56.4	44.0	47.5	10.9	8.0	12.5	26.5	398.2		11.4		9.1	27.8	34.3	24.1	40.0	$15,326	$875	$14,451

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Alternative Education

How many students attend Columbia Alternative Education?

In the 2024-25 school year, 78 students attended Columbia Alternative Education.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Alternative Education?

Students at Columbia Alternative Education are 88% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What district is Columbia Alternative Education in?

Columbia School District

Is Columbia Alternative Education a good school?

Columbia Alternative Education ranks in the bottom 24.9% of Michigan high schools.

Rate Columbia Alternative Education!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan High School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Clarklake, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Columbia Alternative Education!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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.