Summary:
Zip code 48429 is home to just one public high school, Durand Area High School, which serves grades 9-12 and is part of the Durand Area Schools district, enrolling 385 students in a small-town setting.
For parents, the standout feature of Durand Area High School is its exceptional student retention. The school posts a 94.2% four-year graduation rate—more than 10 points above the state average—and a remarkable 0.0% dropout rate, compared to 7.1% statewide. Chronic absenteeism (25.9%) is also slightly better than the state figure (27.9%). With 44% of students economically disadvantaged, these outcomes suggest a supportive environment that successfully guides students to completion. However, academic proficiency tells a more mixed story. The school outperforms the state in 11th-grade Science (42.9% vs. 35.2%), Social Studies (45.5% vs. 43.2%), and SAT Reading & Writing (59.7% vs. 52.1%), as well as 10th-grade PSAT ELA (62.5% vs. 58.0%). Yet mathematics is a clear weakness: proficiency lags in every grade and test, with 9th-grade PSAT math at just 23.3% versus the state's 33.5%, and 11th-grade SAT math at 26.0% versus 26.5%.
Performance has also been volatile. The school's state ranking swung from the 66th percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024, down to the 42nd percentile (2 stars) in 2024-2025, then rebounded to the 64th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026. This volatility, alongside a dramatic one-year jump in science and reading scores, may reflect changing cohorts or new instructional approaches. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.9:1 and per-student spending of $15,481, resources are adequate, but the persistent math gap—especially for incoming 9th graders—suggests targeted intervention in mathematics is needed to ensure that the school's high graduation rate translates into true college readiness. Overall, Durand Area High School excels at keeping students on track and building literacy skills, but families should be aware of the math challenges that may require extra support.
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