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Brethren High School

Q: Is Brethren High School a good school?

Brethren High School ranks 448 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

448^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 44% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Brethren High School is a small, rural public high school in Brethren, MI, serving 140 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Kaleva Norman Dickson School District. The school has a high level of economic need, with over 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Brethren shows a mixed academic picture. The school excels in Science and Social Studies, significantly outperforming the state average on the M-Step (46.7% vs. 34.9% in Science; 55.6% vs. 42.1% in Social Studies). However, it lags in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (48.9% vs. 55.4%) and is particularly weak in Mathematics (15.6% vs. 27.5%). A major concern is the large gender gap: the school ranked in the 95th percentile for serving its female students in 2024-2025, but only the 23rd percentile for male students in 2025-2026. On a positive note, the school has historically performed well with its low-income students, earning 4-star ratings in recent years, though that performance dipped to the 54th percentile most recently.

The most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism. In 2024-2025, 47.4% of students were chronically absent—far above the state average of 27.9% and higher than nearby Mesick Consolidated JrSr High School (28.5%) and Manistee Middle High School (43.2%). This likely contributes to volatile graduation rates, which fell from 92.6% in 2023-2024 to 84.8% in 2024-2025, and a dropout rate spike to 9.0%. Compared to Bear Lake High School, a similar-sized school, Brethren has a significantly higher graduation rate (84.8% vs. 69.5%) and lower dropout rate, despite spending less per student ($16,652 vs. $22,327). While Brethren outperforms Bear Lake in keeping students on track to graduate, its attendance crisis and inconsistent math and reading scores remain key areas for families to watch.

140

Students ?

16.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,652

Per pupil spending ?

60.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4400 N High Bridge Rd
Brethren, MI 49619

(231) 477-5353

District: Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

Feeder schools for Brethren High School:

Elementary:	KND Elementary
Middle:	Brethren Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.1%

Hispanic:

5.0%

American Indian:

5.0%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 44th percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (37% vs 43% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 28% Michigan)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg37%

Michigan avg43%

448^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

457^th of 625Kaleva Norman Dickson School District 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	40.4	448 of 800	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.0	294 of 739	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	357 of 743	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.8	301 of 735	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.9	389 of 531	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	517 of 666	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	63.5	286 of 824	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	38.3	468 of 835	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	54.4	380 of 852	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.0	469 of 832	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	41.5	496 of 799	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.4	554 of 805	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.5	518 of 773	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.8	427 of 784	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.5	501 of 765	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.0	468 of 754	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.6	504 of 750	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	63.7	328 of 767	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.9	410 of 705	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.4	311 of 686	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	93.6	31 of 629	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	56.0	256 of 619	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	274 of 611	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	215 of 416	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.0	388 of 554	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.3	436 of 710	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	334 of 719	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.7	173 of 635	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	118 of 654	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	62.9	192 of 614	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.1	279 of 532	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	85.2	70 of 755	90.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	531 of 693	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.8	312 of 628	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	268 of 633	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	253 of 611	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.4	455 of 543	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	70.8	195 of 707	72.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	481 of 671	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.6	314 of 639	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.8	307 of 638	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.5	355 of 647	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.9	420 of 492	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.1	496 of 582	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.4	290 of 708	59.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2026)55th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)28th percentile-16 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies48%+4 vs state

English Language Arts45%-14 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing43%-9 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

Mathematics24%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Brethren 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Brethren High School	Public	9-12	4400 N High Bridge Rd	Brethren	49619	Manistee County	Kaleva Norman Dickson School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 477-5353	140	8	16.9	60.7%	122 (87.1%)	1 (0.7%)	7 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.0%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.4%)	40.4	448^th of 800 public high schools	44.0%		58	294^th of 739 public high schools	60.2%	154		50.0	39.3		20.6	28.6	42.9	434.8						33.3		47.6	$16,652	$1,516	$15,136
Bear Lake High School	Public	7-12	7748 Cody St	Bear Lake	49614	Manistee County	Bear Lake Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 864-3133	133	6	21.8	60.9%	107 (80.5%)	1 (0.8%)	19 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	40.8	444^th of 800 public high schools	44.5%		65.4	222^nd of 739 public high schools	70.0%	222	65.0	55.0	40.6	20.0	45.0	18.8				73.3		66.7	25.0		35.0		$22,327	$1,219	$21,108
Oaks Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	1500 Caberfae Hwy	Manistee	49660	Manistee County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(231) 723-8272	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Casman Alternative Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	7-12	225 9th St	Manistee	49660	Manistee County	Casman Alternative Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 723-4981	65	5	12.4	98.5%	52 (80.0%)	5 (7.7%)	4 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (6.2%)	22.8	592^nd of 800 public high schools	26.0%					(n/a)		40.0	38.5		349.3	339.2	370.0	342.7						2070.8		2075.3	$12,594	$1,061	$11,533
Manistee Middle High School	Public	6-12	525 12th St	Manistee	49660	Manistee County	Manistee Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 723-2547	685	33	20.5	30.5%	585 (85.4%)	13 (1.9%)	31 (4.5%)	8 (1.2%)	21 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	55.3	310^th of 800 public high schools	61.3%		63.7	238^th of 739 public high schools	67.8%	72	58.8	65.4	48.8	22.4	38.5	33.8	54.9	22.0	25.3	31.9	27.5	36.3	38.8	38.3	51.2	36.3	$15,915	$1,012	$14,903
Mesick Consolidated JrSr High School	Public	6-12	581 S Clark St	Mesick	49668	Wexford County	Mesick Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 885-1201	276	16	17.3	48.9%	250 (90.6%)	8 (2.9%)	7 (2.5%)	3 (1.1%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	57.2	290^th of 800 public high schools	63.8%		52.9	341^st of 739 public high schools	53.9%	51	66.7	55.2	81.6	15.6	20.7	18.4	53.1	12.5	18.5	30.0	1567.9	15.0	42.2	50.0	64.4	71.9	$16,429	$936	$15,494

Frequently Asked Questions about Brethren High School

What schools feed into Brethren High School?

Brethren High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : KND Elementary
Middle : Brethren Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Brethren High School?

Students at Brethren High School are 87% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Brethren High School in?

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

Is Brethren High School a good school?

Brethren High School ranks 448^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Brethren High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 140 students attended Brethren High School.

Rate Brethren High School!

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MIMichigan High School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Brethren, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 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.