Farmington Central High School

Farmington Central High School is a small alternative high school in Farmington Hills, MI, serving just 126 students in grades 9-12 within the highly-rated Farmington Public School District.

This school is fundamentally different from the traditional high schools in its district. While Farmington High School and North Farmington High School boast graduation rates above 94% and 4-star ratings, Farmington Central's graduation rate is just 57.3%—far below the district's 90.5% and the state's 84%. The most striking challenge is chronic absenteeism: a staggering 74.1% of students are chronically absent, meaning they miss significant school time. This is more than three times the district rate of 22.3% and nearly three times the state average. Academic proficiency on state tests is also dramatically lower, with only about 22% of students scoring proficient in reading and writing, compared to 61.6% for the district. The dropout rate of 6.6% is more than double the district's 2.5%.

What makes this school unique is its intensive approach. The school spends an extraordinary $43,773 per student—more than double what the district's comprehensive high schools spend—and maintains a very low student-teacher ratio of about 7:1. This suggests the school is trying to provide heavy, individualized support to students who have likely struggled in traditional settings. The school serves a high-need population, with 55-63% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Its outcomes are more comparable to other alternative programs in the area, like The Laker Opportunity Center (43.3% graduation rate) than to its high-performing district peers. For parents, the key takeaway is that Farmington Central is a specialized, high-cost program designed for students who need a second chance, but the data shows that overcoming chronic disengagement remains its greatest hurdle.