Summary:
Zip code 48618 is home to a single high school, Coleman Junior/Senior High School, which serves grades 7-12 in a rural community as part of the Coleman Community Schools district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that this small school (244 students) excels at getting students to graduation, with a 94.8% graduation rate that is nearly 11 points above the state average. However, academic proficiency on state tests is a significant concern. In nearly every subject and grade level, proficiency rates fall well below Michigan averages—often by 15 to 25 percentage points. Mathematics is a particular weakness, with proficiency ranging from just 11.4% to 19.5% across grades 8-10, meaning fewer than 1 in 5 students are meeting grade-level math standards. The school also saw dramatic declines in test scores from the 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 school year, including a 27-point drop in 8th grade PSAT ELA and a 20-point drop in 8th grade social studies. While some of this volatility may stem from having only about 40 students per grade, the consistency of the declines warrants attention.
On a more positive note, 9th grade PSAT ELA proficiency (63.6%) actually exceeds the state average (60.2%), suggesting a strength in literacy at that level. The school also maintains a favorable 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio and spends a substantial $19,442 per student—well above typical Michigan levels. However, chronic absenteeism affects 34.6% of students, exceeding the state average of 27.9%, and 54.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school's state ranking has slipped from the 54th percentile to the 39th percentile in one year. Given the small class sizes and high per-student spending, parents should ask how resources are being allocated to address the math deficits and absenteeism, while recognizing the school's genuine success in keeping students on track to graduate.
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