Schools in Zip Code 48888

ZIP code 48888 in Stanton, Michigan, is served by two schools within the Central Montcalm Public School district, which together educate 1,023 students in grades 3 through 12, with no standalone middle school as grades 6-8 are housed within the high school building.

For parents comparing the two schools, Central Montcalm Middle High School (grades 6-12, 739 students) is the larger and higher-rated option, holding a 2-star rating with a notable 92.5% graduation rate—well above the state's 84.0%—and a dropout rate of just 3.7%. However, its academic proficiency lags significantly in core subjects; for example, 7th grade math proficiency sits at only 12.6% versus the state's 33.3%, and 8th grade PSAT ELA proficiency is 43.8% compared to the state's 64.8%. In contrast, Central Montcalm Upper Elementary School (grades 3-5, 284 students) holds a 1-star rating and shows mixed results: 4th grade is a relative bright spot with ELA proficiency at 34.6% (only 6.7 points below state) and math at 30.8% (8.6 points below), but 5th grade social studies proficiency is critically low at just 7.6% versus the state's 27.5%. The elementary school also has a higher rate of economic disadvantage (70.42% free/reduced lunch) compared to the secondary school (62.25%), yet its chronic absenteeism rate of 20.8% is actually better than the state average of 27.9%, while the secondary school's rate of 28.2% slightly exceeds it.

Both schools spend similarly—around $14,400 per student—but the investment has not translated into competitive test scores, with most proficiency gaps ranging from 15 to 20 points below state averages. The district's high graduation rate despite low proficiency suggests strong student support, though the unusual structure of combining middle and high school students may contribute to attendance challenges and declining math performance in the middle grades. Parents should note the 11th grade science proficiency (32.6%) nearly matches the state average, offering a rare bright spot at the secondary level.