Gladstone Area High School

Gladstone Area High School serves approximately 472 students in grades 9-12 in the small Upper Peninsula city of Gladstone, Michigan, and is part of the Gladstone Area Schools district.

This is a school that consistently outperforms state averages in core academic areas. In the most recent school year, Gladstone students scored well above the Michigan average in SAT Reading and Writing (62.3% proficient vs. 52.1% statewide) and in PSAT Math for both 9th and 10th graders (42.7% and 42.2% proficient, respectively, compared to state averages in the low-to-mid 30s). The school also shines in keeping students engaged and on track. Its graduation rate of 89.1% exceeds the state average, and its dropout rate of 2.9% is less than half the statewide figure. Chronic absenteeism is also remarkably low at 12.8%, compared to 27.9% across Michigan. When compared to its larger neighbor, Escanaba JuniorSenior High School, Gladstone posts stronger 11th-grade SAT Math scores (31.6% vs. 21.3% proficient). It also outperforms Bark RiverHarris JrSr High School in both SAT Reading/Writing and Math, while maintaining a lower chronic absenteeism rate.

One area that warrants attention is 11th-grade science. After a standout year where proficiency reached 53.8%, scores dropped sharply to 27.2%, falling below the state average. This dramatic single-year decline is unusual and is worth monitoring to see if it reflects a curriculum change, a testing anomaly, or a specific cohort issue. Additionally, while the school has earned high marks for supporting its economically disadvantaged students (about 25% of the student body), that performance dipped in the most recent year. Despite these concerns, Gladstone’s strong graduation rates, low absenteeism, and solid math and reading scores paint a picture of a dependable, above-average high school that helps most students succeed.