Summary:
Zip code 48117 in Carleton, Michigan, is served by six schools within the Airport Community Schools district, which together educate roughly 2,333 students across elementary through high school grades in a predominantly lower-income community.
For parents, the standout elementary option is Joseph C Sterling Elementary School, which posts the district’s best attendance (just 16.0% chronic absenteeism) and leads in 4th grade math (51.3% proficiency) and ELA (50%), both exceeding state averages. Loren Eyler Elementary School is also strong, with 3rd graders hitting 56.4% math proficiency—well above the state—despite similar poverty levels. The middle school years show a clear dip: Wagar Middle School (5th grade only) sees math proficiency plummet to 25.8%, a steep drop from the 51%+ rates at 4th grade. However, Wagar Junior High School shows a remarkable 8th grade turnaround, exceeding state averages in science (46.7%), social studies (55.5%), and PSAT ELA (71.1%), while climbing to the 61st percentile in state rankings.
At the high school level, Airport Senior High School presents a split profile: students excel in reading and writing (61.9% SAT EBRW proficiency, nearly 10 points above the state) but struggle in math (20.6%, six points below). Its 91.8% graduation rate comfortably exceeds the state’s 84.0%. The main concern is Airport Center for Education, an alternative school with a 45.9% dropout rate and only 40.5% graduation, compounded by the highest chronic absenteeism (36.2%) and poverty rate (73.5% free/reduced lunch). District-wide, math is the consistent weakness from 5th grade onward, while chronic absenteeism at secondary schools (30-32%) likely hampers achievement. The elementary schools’ success despite 46-52% poverty suggests effective practices worth replicating, and the 5th grade transition appears to be the critical intervention point.
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