Ackerson High School

Ackerson High School is a small alternative high school in Napoleon, MI, serving 84 students in grades 9-12 within the Napoleon Community Schools district, located just a stone's throw from the district's main high school.

This school serves a student population with significant economic challenges—about 74% qualify for free or reduced lunch, more than double the rate at nearby Napoleon High School. The most pressing concern for parents to understand is the graduation rate, which sits at just 24% for 2024-2025, compared to 94.2% at Napoleon High School and 84% statewide. The dropout rate of 20% is nearly three times the district average. Chronic absenteeism is a severe issue, affecting 84% of students—meaning more than 8 in 10 students miss significant school time. This directly impacts learning, as 11th-grade proficiency rates in reading and writing (33.3%) and English Language Arts (26.7%) are roughly half those of district peers. While the school has shown improvement in state rankings over the past decade (rising from the 4th to 32nd percentile), these academic gains haven't translated into better completion rates.

Compared to similar alternative programs in the area, Ackerson faces the steepest challenges. Columbia Alternative Education reports a 42.1% graduation rate, and East Jackson Virtual Academy shows 42.8%, both notably higher than Ackerson's 24%. Interestingly, the school spends less per student ($13,357) than Napoleon High School ($16,169) despite serving a population with greater needs, and its student-teacher ratio of 28:1 is higher. On a positive note, the school shows particular effectiveness with male students, who rank in the 55th percentile statewide. For parents considering this school, understanding the attendance challenges and the alternative education mission is crucial, as the school appears designed for students who have struggled in traditional settings, though breaking the cycle of absenteeism remains its greatest hurdle.