Vandercook Lake High School

Vandercook Lake High School is a small public school in Jackson, MI, serving 258 students in grades 6 through 12 as part of the Vandercook Lake Public Schools district.

This school stands out for its perfect 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate for the 2024-2025 school year—far exceeding the state average of 84%. However, this success story comes with an important caveat. While the high school graduates all of its seniors, the district as a whole reports a 74.5% graduation rate with a 19.6% dropout rate, suggesting that many students may be leaving the district before reaching their senior year. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1, meaning your child would likely receive more individual attention than at larger schools like Jackson High School, which has a 17.3:1 ratio.

Families should be aware of some significant challenges. Chronic absenteeism affects 39.2% of students—well above the state average of 27.9%—and academic proficiency rates are consistently below state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, only 30% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT reading and writing compared to 52.1% statewide. The school spends $19,218 per student, which is substantially more than nearby Michigan Center JrSr High School ($12,441) and Jackson Preparatory Early College ($11,177), yet those schools achieve notably better academic results. One bright spot is 8th-grade PSAT English Language Arts, where 48.6% of students are proficient—the school's strongest relative performance. With 73% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, but the high spending without corresponding academic gains raises questions about how resources are being used.