Covert High School

Covert High School is a small, rural public high school in Covert, MI, serving just 101 students in grades 9-12 within the Covert Public Schools district. The school has faced significant challenges in recent years, including high rates of economic disadvantage (with over 76% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch) and academic performance that has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Michigan high schools.

One of the most striking findings is the school's spending paradox. Covert spends an extraordinary $24,102 per student—roughly 50-75% more than any neighboring district, including Watervliet Senior High School ($15,653) and Hartford High School ($13,732)—yet academic outcomes remain well below peer institutions. For example, only 28% of 10th graders are proficient in ELA and just 12% in math, compared to 58.8% ELA proficiency at nearby Coloma High School. The contrast with Watervliet is especially telling: both serve rural communities with similar socioeconomic profiles, yet Watervliet graduates 98.6% of students, has just 15.7% chronic absenteeism, and achieves 71.3% ELA proficiency—versus Covert's 79.3% graduation rate, 36% chronic absenteeism, and 28% ELA proficiency.

There are, however, signs of gradual improvement. The graduation rate has climbed from a catastrophic 42.8% in 2021-2022 to 79.3% in 2024-2025, and chronic absenteeism has dropped from 64.4% to 36% over the same period. The school's small size means individual student outcomes can dramatically swing percentages, which may explain some of the historical volatility. While Covert's metrics still more closely resemble area alternative schools like South Haven Alliance Campus SHAC than traditional high schools, the recent upward trends suggest that current efforts may be gaining traction—though sustaining this momentum will be critical given the school's exceptionally high per-student spending.