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Douglas R Welch High School

Public, Virtual Grades 9-12

566^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 23% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Douglas R Welch High School is a small public virtual high school serving grades 9-12 in Ionia, Michigan, part of the Ionia Public Schools district. With just 77 students, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Michigan high schools over the past decade, performing significantly below state and district averages on academic measures.

The school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is concerning, with only 26.9% of 11th-grade students proficient in science compared to 40.7% for the Ionia Public Schools district and 34.9% statewide. The school's SAT performance is also low, with just 22.2% of 11th-graders meeting the evidence-based reading and writing benchmark, compared to 44.3% for the district and 51.6% statewide. Additionally, the school has had fluctuating graduation rates, ranging from 33.3% to 82.8%, and high dropout rates between 7.6% and 33.3% in recent years.

In contrast, the nearby Ionia High School consistently outperforms Douglas R Welch High School on academic measures, graduation rates, and socioeconomic indicators. Other nearby schools, such as PewamoWestphalia MiddleHigh School and Saranac JrSr High School, also significantly outperform Douglas R Welch High School, ranking among the top 20-50 high schools in the state. The virtual nature of Douglas R Welch High School and the socioeconomic challenges of its student population appear to be contributing factors to the school's struggles.

Students ?

31.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,494

Per pupil spending ?

67.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

250 E Tuttle Rd
Ionia, MI 48846-8605

(616) 527-3530

District: Ionia Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.1%

Hispanic:

16.4%

African American:

4.1%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Douglas R Welch High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2011 → 23rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2011

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (22% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (33% vs 83%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg36%

Michigan avg38%

566^th of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Ionia Public Schools

375^th of 613Ionia Public 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
2025	22.2	566 of 739	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	539 of 743	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.2	570 of 824	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	10.7	656 of 835	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.5	681 of 852	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.5	764 of 832	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	8.3	729 of 799	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.1	655 of 805	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	7.4	748 of 773	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	4.9	750 of 784	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	25.9	580 of 765	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	9.7	674 of 754	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	20.2	613 of 767	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	29.3	452 of 635	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.6	322 of 654	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	19.8	581 of 755	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	20.3	505 of 628	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.4	571 of 707	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	6.7	605 of 639	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	450 of 638	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	609 of 708	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)5th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science27%-8 vs state

Social Studies16%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Douglas R Welch High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)		M-Step Math (2025)		M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th 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
Douglas R Welch High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	250 E Tuttle Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(616) 527-3530	73	2	31.0	67.1%	57 (78.1%)	3 (4.1%)	12 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	22.2	566^th of 739 public high schools	23.4%		26.3	539^th of 743 public high schools	27.5%	27										26.9		16.0	$9,494	$1,274	$8,220
Ionia High School	Public	9-12	250 E Tuttle Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 527-0600	774	40	19.1	47.2%	635 (82.0%)	5 (0.6%)	97 (12.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (4.5%)	50.9	360^th of 739 public high schools	51.3%		49.5	341^st of 743 public high schools	54.1%	19			54.3	22.0						42.9		33.1	$12,451	$1,417	$11,034
Ionia County Career Center	Public	9-12	250 E Tuttle Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 489-2152	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	1727 W Bluewater Hwy	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(616) 527-2510	9	0		33.3%	2 (22.2%)	6 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	1576 W Bluewater Hwy	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(616) 527-6331	3	0			0 (0.0%)	3 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Handlon Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	1728 W Bluewater Hwy	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(616) 527-3100	2	0			2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Saranac JrSr High School	Public, Magnet	7-12	150 Pleasant St	Saranac	48881	Ionia County	Saranac Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(616) 642-1100	406	21	19.7	32.8%	362 (89.2%)	6 (1.5%)	26 (6.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	76.4	146^th of 739 public high schools	80.2%		62.8	237^th of 743 public high schools	68.1%	91	76.8	30.4	61.1	34.7		34.2		39.5	53.6	45.8	57.1	59.7	$12,010	$424	$11,586
Portland High School	Public	9-12	1100 Ionia Rd	Portland	48875	Ionia County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 647-2981	665	35	18.8	28.7%	619 (93.1%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (3.8%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.3%)	59.3	279^th of 739 public high schools	62.2%		38.6	437^th of 743 public high schools	41.2%	158			60.1	23.4						41.8		42.4	$13,208	$1,041	$12,168
PewamoWestphalia MiddleHigh School	Public	6-12	5101 S Clintonia Rd	Westphalia	48894	Clinton County	Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 587-5100	504	24	20.7	16.3%	475 (94.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	96.1	19^th of 739 public high schools	97.4%		91.6	53^rd of 743 public high schools	92.9%	34	87.1	50.6	82.9	63.2	75.0	60.0	58.3	58.6	61.2	60.5	61.2	65.8	$13,194	$453	$12,741
Belding High School	Public	9-12	850 Hall St	Belding	48809	Ionia County	Belding Area School District	No	No	No	No	(616) 794-4900	511	26	19.4	59.5%	440 (86.1%)	5 (1.0%)	50 (9.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.9%)	32.8	489^th of 739 public high schools	33.8%		25.9	546^th of 743 public high schools	26.5%	57			47.0	14.9						26.9		31.3	$13,406	$1,544	$11,862

Frequently Asked Questions about Douglas R Welch High School

Is Douglas R Welch High School a good school?

Douglas R Welch High School ranks in the bottom 23.4% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend Douglas R Welch High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 73 students attended Douglas R Welch High School.

What district is Douglas R Welch High School in?

Ionia Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Douglas R Welch High School?

Students at Douglas R Welch High School are 78% White, 16% Hispanic, 4% African American, 1% Two or more races.

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Schools in Ionia, MI

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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.