Grass Lake High School

Grass Lake High School is a mid-sized public high school in Grass Lake, MI, serving 394 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Grass Lake Community Schools district.

For parents, the most reassuring news is that Grass Lake students are performing well compared to nearby schools. On state assessments, Grass Lake's SAT proficiency rates (51.1% in Reading/Writing and 25% in Math) are significantly higher than those at Vandercook Lake High School, Michigan Center JrSr High School, and East Jackson Secondary School. The school also shines when it comes to keeping students engaged: its graduation rate is a strong 90.5%, and its dropout rate is just 1.1%—far better than the state average of 7.1%. Chronic absenteeism (20.1%) is also well below the state average and much lower than many neighboring schools, some of which struggle with rates above 30% or even 40%.

One of the most interesting recent developments is a dramatic turnaround for students from low-income families. After ranking in the bottom 15th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, this subgroup jumped to the 74th percentile (a 4-star rating) in the most recent school year—a sign that targeted interventions may be working. However, the school's overall performance has been somewhat volatile from year to year, which is common for a school its size where a single cohort can shift the numbers. While Grass Lake is a clear local leader, it still trails the exceptional test scores at Manchester JuniorSenior High School. Notably, Grass Lake achieves its results with a relatively modest per-student expenditure of $13,662, compared to Manchester's $30,188, suggesting the district operates efficiently—though it raises the question of whether more investment could help close the gap with top performers.