Best High Schools in Zip Code 48532

Zip code 48532 is home to CarmanAinsworth High School and CA Alternative EdAtlantis, two high schools within the Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools district that serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population in a mid-Michigan area.

For parents comparing the two schools, CarmanAinsworth High School is the traditional comprehensive option, enrolling 914 students in grades 8-12 with a much lower student-teacher ratio of 18.5:1 and significantly higher per-student spending of $17,572. It posts a graduation rate of 81.7% and ranks in the 18th percentile statewide. In contrast, CA Alternative EdAtlantis serves just 110 students in grades 6-12 with a 34.3:1 student-teacher ratio and only $10,125 spent per student. This alternative school has a 59.4% graduation rate, an 18.8% dropout rate, and a staggering 64.2% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double the state average. While the alternative school ranks in the 9th percentile, it surprisingly outperformed its own district in 11th-grade social studies (33.3% vs. 31.4%), suggesting effective instruction when students are present.

The most pressing concern across both schools is mathematics. At CarmanAinsworth High School, only 7.3% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT math compared to the 26.5% state average, and 10th-grade PSAT math proficiency sits at just 9.6%. Chronic absenteeism is a hidden crisis affecting 37.1% of CarmanAinsworth students, undermining academic progress. The district overall ranks 435th out of 625 Michigan districts (30th percentile). However, SAT reading/writing scores show relative strength (27.8% at CarmanAinsworth vs. 52.1% statewide), and the main high school has shown a concerning three-year decline in rankings from the 25th to 18th percentile. The stark $7,447 per-student spending disparity between the two schools raises equity questions, especially since the alternative school serves students with greater needs yet receives fewer resources.