Summary:
Zip code 48849 is home to a single public high school, Lakewood High School, which serves grades 8 through 12 within the Lakewood Public Schools district, enrolling 473 students in a rural Michigan setting.
Lakewood High School is a stable, above-average performer in Michigan, consistently earning a 3-star rating and ranking between 276th and 293rd out of roughly 800 schools over the past three years. Its greatest strength is literacy: 11th graders score 57.1% proficient on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (vs. 52.1% statewide), and 9th and 10th graders outperform the state by 6-7 points on PSAT English Language Arts. The school also excels in science (41.7% proficient vs. 35.2% state) and social studies (45.4% vs. 43.2%). Graduation rates are strong at 92.9%, well above the state’s 84.0%, and the dropout rate of 5.5% is lower than the state’s 7.1%. However, mathematics is a persistent weakness—proficiency rates lag the state by 4 to 9 points across all grade levels, with only 22.9% of 11th graders proficient in SAT Math compared to 26.5% statewide.
The most striking paradox is chronic absenteeism: 36.6% of students are chronically absent, far exceeding the district’s 25.2% and the state’s 27.9%, despite the school’s high graduation and low dropout rates. This suggests that while engaged students succeed, a significant portion of the student body is disengaged—likely contributing to the math struggles. With a student-teacher ratio of 22:1 and per-student spending of $13,163, resources are moderate. The school’s consistency is a double-edged sword: it demonstrates reliability but also a lack of improvement in math. For parents, Lakewood offers a solid education in reading, writing, and science, but they should be aware of the math gap and high absenteeism when considering this school.
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