Schools in Zip Code 48382

Zip code 48382, covering Commerce Township, MI, is served by six schools—two elementary, one middle, and three high schools—that together educate roughly 3,441 students across the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools and Huron Valley Schools districts.

For families prioritizing a strong, consistent academic pathway, the Walled Lake schools offer a clear advantage. Clifford H Smart Middle School is the standout performer in the area, earning 4-5 star ratings and posting proficiency rates well above state averages—for example, 81.9% of its 8th graders were proficient in English Language Arts versus the 65.3% state average. It feeds directly into Walled Lake Northern High School, which boasts a 95% graduation rate and a 0.2% dropout rate, far outpacing state norms. At the elementary level, Commerce Elementary School generally outperforms Country Oaks Elementary School; for instance, 65.3% of Commerce 5th graders were proficient in science versus 45.2% at Country Oaks. All Walled Lake schools in this zip code have low chronic absenteeism (10-24%) and relatively low free/reduced lunch rates (17-21%), indicating stable, supportive learning environments.

The picture is more complex for the Huron Valley schools in this area. Harbor High School, an alternative school, is a significant outlier with a 1-star rating, a 70.7% chronic absenteeism rate, and proficiency rates that are a fraction of the state average—only 16.2% of 11th graders were proficient in SAT reading and writing. It also serves a higher-need population, with 54.1% of students on free/reduced lunch. Notably, Harbor spends more per student ($19,877) than the high-achieving Walled Lake Northern ($15,657), illustrating that higher funding does not automatically translate to better outcomes. Huron Valley Adult Education is a specialized program with just 15 students and an exceptionally high per-student cost of $78,635, typical for intensive, low-enrollment adult education. While the elementary schools in both districts build a solid foundation, the divergence in high school performance is stark, making the Walled Lake pipeline—from Commerce Elementary through Clifford Smart Middle to Walled Lake Northern—the most reliable choice for academic success in this zip code.