Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48622

Zip code 48622 in Farwell, Michigan, is served by four schools within the Farwell Area Schools district, which together educate roughly 1,000 students across elementary through high school grades in a predominantly low-income community where 68-82% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

For parents, the standout choice in this area is clearly Farwell High School, which outperforms its district peers and even the state in several key areas. Its 11th graders achieve 56.9% proficiency in Social Studies—nearly 14 points above the state average—and its 86.8% graduation rate exceeds both the district (81.3%) and state (84.0%) averages. The school also posts a lower dropout rate (6.5%) than the district average. In contrast, Farwell Timberland Alternative High School faces severe challenges, with a 57.1% graduation rate, a 28.5% dropout rate (four times the state average), and 42.3% chronic absenteeism. The elementary and middle schools struggle academically, with Farwell Elementary School showing just 14.1% ELA proficiency in 3rd grade and Farwell Middle School hitting a district-low 11.1% math proficiency in 5th grade—both far below state averages.

Several patterns stand out for families. Chronic absenteeism escalates with grade level, rising from 22.7% at the elementary school to 30.8% at the high school and peaking at 42.3% at the alternative school. Academic performance also declined sharply year-over-year across most subjects, with 3rd grade ELA dropping from 30% to 14.1% proficiency. Notably, spending does not align with outcomes: the middle school spends the most per student ($17,129) yet shows weak results, while the high school spends the least ($15,062) and performs best. The district overall holds a 1-star rating, but this masks the high school's 3-star performance, suggesting that the lower-performing elementary and middle schools are dragging down the district's reputation despite pockets of success at the secondary level.