Summary:
Zip code 48173 is home to a single public high school, Oscar A Carlson High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 in Rockwood, MI, as part of the Gibraltar School District.
For parents, the most reassuring news is that Oscar A Carlson High School excels at getting students to graduation. With a 96.4% graduation rate and a dropout rate of just 0.4%, the school dramatically outperforms both its district (91.6% and 2.3%) and the state of Michigan (84.0% and 7.1%). This suggests a supportive environment where students are consistently guided to completion. However, academic proficiency on standardized tests tells a more mixed story. The school shines in English Language Arts, with 11th-grade SAT reading/writing scores (56.2%) above the state average (52.1%), and 9th-grade PSAT ELA scores (66.4%) well above the state (60.2%). In contrast, math and science are areas of concern. SAT math proficiency (26.5%) is merely average, while 11th-grade M-Step science (28.8%) and social studies (34.4%) both fall below state averages (35.2% and 43.2%, respectively).
One notable trend is a dramatic one-year improvement in 11th-grade science proficiency, jumping from 15.9% in 2024-2025 to 28.8% in 2025-2026, though it still lags the state. Chronic absenteeism affects 24.3% of students, slightly higher than the district's 22.8% but below the state's 27.9%. With about 25% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, the school has moderate economic diversity. Resources include per-student spending of $13,911 and a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 22.9:1, which may mean larger class sizes. Overall, this is a school that successfully ensures students graduate, but parents should be aware that boosting proficiency in STEM and social studies subjects may be a key area for future focus.
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