Niles Cedar Lane

Niles Cedar Lane is a small alternative high school in Niles, MI, serving 134 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Niles Community Schools district.

This school is designed for students who have struggled in a traditional high school setting, and the data reflects that mission. A large majority of students (66-78%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism is a significant challenge—33.7% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, nearly double the rate at Niles Senior High School. Academically, proficiency rates are much lower than at the district's main high school. For example, only 25.9% of 11th graders were proficient in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to 52.7% at Niles Senior High. The graduation rate of 69.8% is also far below the 98.8% rate at Niles Senior High, and the dropout rate is 13.2% versus 1.1%. This gap is expected for an alternative school, but it's important for parents to understand that students often arrive with significant academic deficits.

There are some encouraging signs. The graduation rate has climbed steadily from 46.5% in 2021-2022 to 69.8% in 2024-2025—a 23-point improvement in three years. The school also outperforms other local alternative programs: it beats WAY Niles (55.5% graduation) and Brandywine Innovation Academy (41.1% graduation), though it lags behind Edwardsburg Alternative Learning Center (81.8%). One striking finding is a gender gap: the school ranks in the 72nd percentile for male students but only the 18th percentile for female students, suggesting it is far more effective at serving boys. Per-student spending ($10,546) is lower than at Niles Senior High ($13,603), despite the higher needs of this population, which may be a concern for the district to examine.