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Buckley Community Schools

Q: Is Buckley Community Schools a good school?

Buckley Community Schools ranks 974 th of 1492 Michigan alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12

974^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Alternative Schools

Better than 35% of Michigan alternative schools

Summary

Buckley Community Schools is a small, rural public school district in Buckley, MI, serving 488 students across all grades (PK-12) under one roof, with about 46% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Despite its size, this school delivers some impressive results that make it worth a closer look for local families.

One of the most striking strengths is the graduation rate. At 90.6%, it beats the state average of 84% and far outpaces nearby alternatives like North EdBridgeway, North EdCreekside School, and North EdNew Horizons, which all report 0% graduation rates. Even Grand Traverse Academy, a larger charter school 16 miles away, comes in slightly lower at 87.5%. Buckley also keeps students engaged—its chronic absenteeism rate of 18.9% is well below the state average and dramatically better than the North Ed schools, which range from 41.8% to 60.7%. The dropout rate has hovered near zero in recent years, showing strong student retention.

Academically, Buckley shines in middle school math and science. In 2025-2026, 54.1% of 8th graders were proficient in math (state average: 31.9%) and 64.7% in science (state average: 39.2%). Eleventh graders also scored 10 points above the state average on SAT math. Science is a consistent standout across all grade levels. The main concern is early elementary reading—3rd-grade ELA proficiency dipped to 14.3% in 2025-2026, though this fluctuates widely year to year due to small class sizes. Compared to Highpoint Virtual Academy of MIchigan, just 7 miles away, Buckley outperforms by 20-30 percentage points in most subjects, suggesting the in-person model is more effective. With per-student spending rising to $13,775, Buckley appears to use its resources efficiently to achieve outcomes that rival or exceed much larger schools.

488

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,775

Per pupil spending ?

45.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

80%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 17.1% (any vaccine)

305 S 1st St
Buckley, MI 49620-9764

(231) 269-3325

District: Buckley Community Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.3%

Hispanic:

3.1%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Buckley Community Schools to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2023 → 71st in 2026

Strengths

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 33 percentile points since 2023

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!English Language Arts scores 12 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg39%

Michigan avg41%

Elementary school

974^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

239^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

229^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Top 29%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to top 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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
2026	32.0	974 of 1492	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.5	800 of 1488	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	803 of 1486	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.5	622 of 1470	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.7	802 of 1344	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	615 of 1153	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.6	675 of 1408	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.8	759 of 1448	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.9	753 of 1466	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.3	752 of 1548	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.3	1114 of 1580	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	29.5	1178 of 1533	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.7	1178 of 1563	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	40.1	1059 of 1566	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.7	797 of 1552	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	42.6	1191 of 1552	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.5	1171 of 1589	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	56.8	856 of 1577	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	41.6	1160 of 1565	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	40.9	1166 of 1545	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	935 of 1343	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.7	591 of 1338	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.0	693 of 1342	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.2	726 of 1321	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	716 of 1106	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.6	241 of 902	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	60.3	584 of 1443	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	813 of 1352	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.5	656 of 1346	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.7	707 of 1381	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.1	602 of 1350	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.9	415 of 1099	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.4	144 of 749	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	461 of 1134	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	644 of 1397	53.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	870 of 1372	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	792 of 1366	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.7	791 of 1347	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.5	462 of 1334	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.5	754 of 1139	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.5	390 of 915	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.5	545 of 1196	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.8	836 of 1446	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	21.5	984 of 1199	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.3	839 of 1206	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	833 of 1204	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	701 of 1198	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.8	835 of 1102	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.5	609 of 1005	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.7	690 of 1128	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	815 of 1253	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	66.6	239 of 896	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	47.2	442 of 890	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	414 of 897	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.9	443 of 883	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	414 of 776	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.0	405 of 675	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	494 of 792	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.4	497 of 838	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.0	510 of 821	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.6	526 of 894	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.5	597 of 919	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.0	509 of 921	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.1	557 of 919	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.7	336 of 900	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.6	418 of 858	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.6	456 of 851	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	59.5	455 of 847	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	60.8	425 of 839	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	32.5	669 of 823	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	45.9	567 of 806	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	278 of 789	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.2	341 of 789	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.7	315 of 771	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.6	269 of 770	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.2	419 of 794	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	169 of 834	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	45.8	426 of 832	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	380 of 836	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.9	503 of 825	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.2	244 of 691	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.3	226 of 523	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.7	523 of 815	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	199 of 813	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	34.4	511 of 798	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	372 of 786	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.0	483 of 776	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	443 of 658	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.1	362 of 540	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.5	260 of 639	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.9	482 of 797	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	260 of 687	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.8	469 of 696	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	458 of 701	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	443 of 688	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	414 of 638	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.7	395 of 577	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.7	481 of 624	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	523 of 678	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	63.9	229 of 800	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	46.6	391 of 739	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.3	262 of 743	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.4	454 of 735	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.0	348 of 531	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	364 of 561	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.0	485 of 666	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	60.6	311 of 824	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.4	237 of 835	71.6%	★★★★☆
2016	46.2	444 of 852	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	56.8	372 of 832	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	42.3	492 of 799	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.9	438 of 805	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	36.1	524 of 773	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.3	409 of 784	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	54.9	441 of 765	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.9	448 of 754	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	75.5	198 of 750	73.6%	★★★★☆
2007	65.8	296 of 767	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.3	420 of 705	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	62.2	205 of 686	70.1%	★★★★☆
2025	35.8	401 of 629	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.5	403 of 611	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.0	334 of 710	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	62.7	204 of 719	71.6%	★★★★☆
2025	42.3	358 of 635	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	96.9	18 of 654	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	17.9	531 of 614	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	80.1	102 of 755	86.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	56.7	249 of 693	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.9	305 of 628	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.5	473 of 633	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.0	262 of 440	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.3	305 of 472	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.8	284 of 707	59.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	301 of 671	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.7	436 of 639	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.6	310 of 638	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.6	457 of 647	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	333 of 492	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.3	395 of 516	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	490 of 582	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.6	359 of 708	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile~ school

Female (2026)30th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)18th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)76th percentile~ school

Female (2026)65th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)62nd percentile-11 vs school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)70th percentile~ school

Male (2026)64th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing52%~ state avg

Science48%+10 vs state

Mathematics45%+12 vs state

Math31%-5 vs state

Social Studies31%-10 vs state

English Language Arts28%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buckley Community Schools

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				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)			Vaccination (2025-26)		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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	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 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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buckley Community Schools	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	305 S 1st St	Buckley	49620	Wexford County	Buckley Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 269-3325	488	31	15.8	45.7%	460 (94.3%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)								(n/a)	79.4	51.4	55.9	50.0	48.6	35.3	52.3	36.4	14.3	32.4	28.2	31.6	33.3	19.0	29.7	25.6	54.1	30.6	30.8	64.7	50.0	12.8	41.2	38.6	80%	17.1%	$13,775	$1,005	$12,770
Highpoint Virtual Academy of MIchigan	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	210 E Mesick Ave	Mesick	49668	Wexford County	Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(231) 371-4707	3,455	179	19.2	79.7%	1,670 (48.3%)	1,060 (30.7%)	313 (9.1%)	34 (1.0%)	23 (0.7%)	2 (0.1%)	353 (10.2%)								(n/a)	39.2	38.4	37.3	4.1	3.8	3.9	28.5	2.3	11.4	10.4	15.1	13.4	13.8	8.2	5.9	3.0	5.3	5.1	12.5	9.9	16.5	7.1	16.0	19.9	82.5%	12.7%	$11,741	$677	$11,065
Grand Traverse Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1245 Hammond Rd E	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Grand Traverse Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 932-6008	824	54	15.2	27.8%	720 (87.4%)	23 (2.8%)	29 (3.5%)	11 (1.3%)	7 (0.8%)	8 (1.0%)	26 (3.2%)								(n/a)	81.8	90.6	65.2	54.5	60.4	32.6	86.5	57.7	52.5	63.5	45.5	53.4	44.1	57.4	67.1	38.2	45.2	44.1	45.5	50.9	65.4	28.6	54.5	73.1	74%	17.8%	$9,337	$310	$9,027
North EdCreekside School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1100 Silver Dr	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 922-6375	64	10	6.4	76.6%	57 (89.1%)	2 (3.1%)	2 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)								(n/a)														1249.5
North EdNew Horizons	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	933 Rose St	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5685	75	14	5.3	58.7%	63 (84.0%)	5 (6.7%)	4 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)								(n/a)
North EdBridgeway	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	301 S Garfield Ave	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5683	70	24	2.9	70.0%	64 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.3%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)																									92.3%	7.7%

Frequently Asked Questions about Buckley Community Schools

What district is Buckley Community Schools in?

Buckley Community Schools

What is the racial makeup of Buckley Community Schools?

Students at Buckley Community Schools are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Buckley Community Schools?

In the 2024-25 school year, 488 students attended Buckley Community Schools.

Is Buckley Community Schools a good school?

Buckley Community Schools ranks 974^th of 1492 Michigan alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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Schools in Buckley, MI

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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.