Summary:
Zip code 48658 is home to a single public high school, Standish-Sterling Central JrSr High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 and enrolls 660 students in a rural Michigan community.
As the only high school in the area, Standish-Sterling Central JrSr High School stands out for its exceptional student retention and success. The school boasts a remarkable 98.2% graduation rate—14.2 points higher than the state average—and a dropout rate of just 0.8%, compared to 7.1% statewide. Chronic absenteeism (23.3%) is also better than the Michigan average (27.9%). Academically, the school shines in 11th-grade M-Step Science (52.9% proficient vs. 34.9% statewide) and Social Studies (58.7% vs. 42.1%), and it exceeds state averages in SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (63.5% vs. 55.4%). However, math is a clear weakness: 11th-grade SAT Math proficiency (23.1%) trails the state by 4.4 points, and 7th-grade M-Step Math (29.8%) and ELA (36.0%) also fall slightly below state averages. The school is part of the Standish-Sterling Community Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 76th percentile of Michigan districts.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that this school excels at keeping students on track to graduate, even though over half (52.1%) of its students are economically disadvantaged. The school spends $13,791 per student, with a student-teacher ratio of 19.5, suggesting resources may be directed toward support services rather than smaller math classes. One caution: test scores show significant year-over-year volatility—for example, 11th-grade Science proficiency dropped from 52.9% to 36.5% between recent school years, while 7th-grade ELA jumped from 36.0% to 54.9%. This makes it hard to predict future performance, but the school’s consistent strength in graduation rates and humanities-based subjects provides a solid foundation for families considering this area.
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