Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48723

Zip code 48723, serving the Caro, Michigan area, includes six schools spanning pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, with a total enrollment of 1,461 students across the Caro Community Schools district and the Tuscola Independent School District (Isd).

For parents, the standout choice in this area is Caro High School, which is the only school in the district to earn a 3-star rating. It boasts a 94% graduation rate—well above the state average of 84%—and its 11th graders outperform state averages in science (43.3% vs. 35.2%) and social studies (51.9% vs. 43.2%). However, math proficiency is a district-wide concern: Caro Middle School 7th graders score 16 points below the state average in math (17.3% vs. 33.3%), and the slide continues into high school where only 22.1% of 11th graders meet SAT math benchmarks. For younger students, Schall Elementary School (grades 3-5) has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 18.6%, but its 3rd grade ELA proficiency (22.4%) trails the state by nearly 16 points. McComb Elementary School (PK-2) receives the highest per-student funding among traditional schools ($17,102) and maintains the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.6:1), signaling a strong investment in early education.

The alternative programs serve significantly more at-risk populations but with starkly different resources. Caro Alternative High School has a 41.1% graduation rate, a 29.4% dropout rate, and 56.5% chronic absenteeism—yet receives the lowest per-student funding in the district at $9,697. In contrast, Highland Pines School, an ISD program for students with significant challenges, spends an extraordinary $103,203 per student with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio, though it reports a 0% traditional graduation rate. Overall, the district holds a 2-star rating, and while Caro High School shows clear academic strength, families should be aware of the pronounced math achievement gap that emerges in middle school and the high chronic absenteeism rates (29-30%) at both the middle and traditional high school levels.