Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48612

Schools in zip code 48612, serving the Beaverton, Michigan area, include two schools within the Beaverton Schools district: Beaverton JuniorSenior High School (grades 6-12) and Beaverton Elementary School (grades PK-5), together enrolling 874 students in a community where over half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The standout story is the dramatic turnaround at Beaverton JuniorSenior High School, which jumped from a 1-star to a 3-star rating in a single year, improving its state rank by 241 positions. Its middle school grades (6-8) are a genuine strength, with 8th grade science proficiency at 56% (well above the state) and 7th grade math at 47.4%. However, the high school struggles with engagement: chronic absenteeism is 34.1% (6 points above the state) and the dropout rate is 9.6%. In contrast, Beaverton Elementary School posts better attendance than the state average (22.8% chronic absenteeism) and a more favorable student-teacher ratio (15.2:1 vs. 20.2:1), but its ELA scores lag 15-20 points behind state averages in grades 3-5, while math and science are comparatively stronger.

Both schools share a notable pattern: they outperform state averages in science and social studies (e.g., 5th grade science at 43.5% and 8th grade science at 56%), yet struggle with core literacy. The elementary school's 4th grade ELA proficiency is just 21%, and the high school's 6th grade ELA dropped 25.8 points in one year, suggesting volatile cohorts. Per-student funding is nearly identical (~$14,500), indicating equitable resources. For parents, the key takeaway is that the middle grades offer strong academics, but early literacy intervention and high school engagement strategies are critical areas needing attention, especially given the district's high poverty rate.