Schools in Zip Code 48444

Imlay City, Michigan (zip code 48444) is served by four schools within the Imlay City Community Schools district, educating roughly 1,734 students across elementary through high school grades.

For parents, the standout academic performer is Imlay City Middle School, which posts the district's highest proficiency rates, particularly in 8th grade social studies (63.6% vs. 50.3% statewide) and 8th grade PSAT English (75% vs. 64.8% statewide). However, its state ranking has slipped over the past three years. Imlay City High School excels at keeping students on track, with a 96.9% graduation rate and just a 2.2% dropout rate—both far better than state averages—though its SAT math proficiency (20.4%) and social studies scores (34.8%) lag behind Michigan. Among elementary schools, Borland Elementary School shows a notable strength in 4th grade math (51.9% proficiency, 12.5 points above the state), but 5th grade scores drop sharply across subjects. Weston Elementary School serves the youngest students (PK-2) and has the highest poverty rate (62.5% free/reduced lunch) and chronic absenteeism (34.2%), though it also enjoys the smallest class sizes (14.6:1 student-teacher ratio) and highest per-student spending ($16,772).

A concerning pattern emerges in math: proficiency falls dramatically from 4th grade (51.9%) to 5th grade (27.1%) and remains below state averages through high school. Chronic absenteeism exceeds the state average (27.9%) at every school except Borland Elementary (22.0%), which could serve as a model for intervention. Spending varies widely within the district—Weston spends nearly $2,900 more per student than Borland—and the high school has the largest class sizes (25.1:1). While the middle school excels in social studies, both elementary and high school levels struggle in that subject, suggesting successful teaching strategies aren't being shared across grade levels.