Summary
Munising High and Middle School serves 296 students in grades 6 through 12 in the small, rural community of Munising, Michigan, as part of the Munising Public Schools district.
This school has clear academic strengths, particularly in science, where 11th and 8th graders significantly outperform state averages on the M-Step exam. It also excels at keeping students on track, with a graduation rate of 89.5% that has consistently exceeded the state average for five years, and a dropout rate of just 2.0% compared to the state's 7.1%. However, mathematics is a major area of concern, with proficiency rates across all grade levels falling well below state benchmarks—for example, only about 20% of 6th and 7th graders are proficient in math. The school's performance has been volatile over the past decade, swinging between top-quartile and bottom-quartile ratings, which suggests results are highly sensitive to individual student cohorts. There are no other schools within 20 miles for direct comparison, so these insights are measured against statewide averages.
Parents should also note some interesting patterns. While 6th graders perform well in English Language Arts, 7th-grade proficiency drops sharply, hinting at a possible transition challenge. In 8th grade, students excel in ELA and science but struggle in math, showing that instructional strengths don't carry over to all subjects. Chronic absenteeism, while improved from pandemic-era highs, remains at 20.5%, and the school spends a substantial $15,150 per student without consistent results in math and social studies. Additionally, subgroup data shows achievement gaps, with White students and low-income students ranking notably lower than the school's overall performance. For parents, this school offers a supportive, small-town environment with strong science and graduation outcomes, but math instruction and consistency across grade levels are areas to watch closely.
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