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Forest Area High School

Q: Is Forest Area High School a good school?

Forest Area High School ranks 498 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

498^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 38% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Forest Area High School is a small, rural public school in Fife Lake, MI, serving 156 students in grades 9-12 within the Forest Area Community Schools district. The school has seen significant ups and downs in recent years, with its most current data showing a 2-star rating and a statewide ranking in the 38th percentile—a modest improvement from the prior year but still below its historical peak from a decade ago.

The most pressing concern for parents is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 54.7%—nearly double the state average of 27.9% and far higher than any nearby school. This has been a persistent issue for four straight years. On a more positive note, the graduation rate has climbed to 86.1%, now above the state average, and the dropout rate has fallen dramatically from 13.5% to 8.3% in just two years. Academically, science and social studies proficiency have rebounded to meet or slightly exceed state averages, but mathematics remains a clear weakness. Only 21.6% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT math (state: 26.5%), and 9th and 10th grade PSAT math scores lag 15-17 percentage points behind state averages. When compared to nearby schools, Forest Area sits in the middle tier—its reading/writing scores are comparable to Manton Consolidated High School and Kalkaska High School, but it trails Kingsley Area High School by roughly 20 percentage points in both reading and math.

With just 156 students, test scores can swing wildly from year to year based on the strengths of a single class—science proficiency, for example, jumped from 26.9% to 35.9% in one year. The school spends a generous $15,266 per student and maintains a favorable 15.1:1 student-teacher ratio, yet outcomes don't consistently reflect that investment. The disconnect between high chronic absenteeism and a strong graduation rate suggests attendance policies may be lenient, and a significant portion of students remain disengaged. While the most recent year shows improvement across several metrics, the school's ability to address absenteeism and foundational math skills will determine whether this is a genuine turnaround or just another peak in a volatile cycle.

156

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,266

Per pupil spending ?

44.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

7661 Shippy Rd SW
Fife Lake, MI 49633-8243

(231) 369-2884

District: Forest Area Community Schools

Feeder schools for Forest Area High School:

Elementary:	Fife Lake Elementary School
Middle:	Forest Area Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.2%

African American:

1.9%

Hispanic:

1.3%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 47th percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (32% vs 43% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (55% vs 28% Michigan)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Michigan avg43%

498^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

482^nd of 625Forest Area Community Schools 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	34.9	498 of 800	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.6	544 of 739	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.3	354 of 743	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.4	453 of 735	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.1	237 of 531	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.3	564 of 666	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.1	481 of 824	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.3	522 of 835	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.9	305 of 852	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.2	437 of 832	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.9	439 of 799	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	69.9	236 of 805	70.7%	★★★★☆
2012	32.7	544 of 773	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	51.5	482 of 784	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.0	383 of 765	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.0	461 of 754	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.7	427 of 750	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.0	465 of 767	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	31.0	547 of 705	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	13.2	592 of 686	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	63.4	188 of 619	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.9	409 of 611	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	239 of 416	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	9.8	502 of 554	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	469 of 710	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	410 of 719	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	78.7	89 of 654	86.4%	★★★★☆
2023	45.0	337 of 614	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	81.2	61 of 369	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	56.4	290 of 755	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	353 of 693	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.7	443 of 628	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.2	319 of 633	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	415 of 611	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.0	468 of 543	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.2	426 of 707	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.5	537 of 671	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.7	591 of 639	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	35.6	410 of 638	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.3	514 of 647	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.7	259 of 492	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	9.1	539 of 582	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	513 of 708	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2026)49th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-18 vs school

Female (2026)14th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies45%~ state avg

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing40%-12 vs state

English Language Arts38%-21 vs state

Science36%~ state avg

Mathematics17%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Forest Area High School

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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 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
Forest Area High School	Public	9-12	7661 Shippy Rd SW	Fife Lake	49633	Kalkaska County	Forest Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 369-2884	156	10	15.1	44.9%	150 (96.2%)	3 (1.9%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	34.9	498^th of 800 public high schools	37.8%		24.6	544^th of 739 public high schools	26.4%	46		32.4	44.1		18.9	14.7	40.5	21.6						35.9		44.7	$15,266	$979	$14,287
Kalkaska High School	Public	9-12	109 N Birch St	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 258-9167	439	23	18.9	47.4%	399 (90.9%)	8 (1.8%)	19 (4.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	50.5	361^st of 800 public high schools	54.9%		55.9	314^th of 739 public high schools	57.5%	47		69.9	58.1		38.6	34.4	37.7	24.5						27.9		35.6	$00	$00	$00
Kingsley Area High School	Public	9-12	7475 Kingsley Rd	Kingsley	49649	Grand Traverse County	Kingsley Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 263-5262	401	26	15.6	37.7%	379 (94.5%)	7 (1.7%)	9 (2.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	83.2	95^th of 800 public high schools	88.1%		90.3	50^th of 739 public high schools	93.2%	45		75.0	70.4		46.3	50.0	62.8	37.2						54.4		60.3	$14,368	$814	$13,554
Manton Consolidated High School	Public	9-12	105 5th St	Manton	49663	Wexford County	Manton Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 824-6411	289	18	15.9	37.7%	269 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	38.5	468^th of 800 public high schools	41.5%		26.3	527^th of 739 public high schools	28.7%	59		59.7	48.6		31.2	33.3	39.3	8.2						15.0		30.0	$13,949	$1,086	$12,863
Traverse City High School	Public	9-12	3962 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5860	171	10	16.3	59.6%	139 (81.3%)	10 (5.8%)	11 (6.4%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	23.4	588^th of 800 public high schools	26.5%		30.6	503^rd of 739 public high schools	31.9%	85							36.4	406.1						22.9		22.9	$16,076	$701	$15,376
North EdCareer Technical	Public	11-12	880 Parsons Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 922-6260	0	38	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Central High School	Public	8-12	1150 Milliken Dr	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6500	1,326	56	23.6	20.3%	1,191 (89.8%)	38 (2.9%)	41 (3.1%)	33 (2.5%)	22 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83	96^th of 800 public high schools	88.0%		70.9	178^th of 739 public high schools	75.9%	82		78.3	81.4		51.9	59.1	68.9	51.9						37.8		42.7	$13,463	$701	$12,763
The Greenspire High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2200 Dendrinos Drive	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	176	10	17.6	39.8%	151 (85.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.5%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.7%)	2 (1.1%)	11 (6.3%)	53	335^th of 800 public high schools	58.1%		87.2	64^th of 739 public high schools	91.3%	271		63.6	53.3		18.2	20.0	66.7	13.9						47.2		52.8	$10,141	$279	$9,862
Lake City High School	Public	9-12	251 Russell St	Lake City	49651	Missaukee County	Lake City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 839-6600	369	25	14.5	58.5%	332 (90.0%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.8%)	55.5	308^th of 800 public high schools	61.5%		44.5	410^th of 739 public high schools	44.5%	102		58.1	51.1		39.8	30.0	53.1	25.9						45.1		34.1	$14,748	$927	$13,822
The Greenspire School	Public, Charter	6-12	1026 Red Dr	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	93	9	10.3	37.6%	77 (82.8%)	3 (3.2%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (10.8%)								(n/a)	66.7			20.0					24.2	23.3	21.2	16.7	43.3		50.0		$11,572	$280	$11,293

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Area High School

Is Forest Area High School a good school?

Forest Area High School ranks 498^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Forest Area High School in?

Forest Area Community Schools

What schools feed into Forest Area High School?

Forest Area High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Fife Lake Elementary School
Middle : Forest Area Middle School

How many students attend Forest Area High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 156 students attended Forest Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Area High School?

Students at Forest Area High School are 96% White, 2% African American, 1% Hispanic.

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Schools in Fife Lake, 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.