Best High Schools in Zip Code 48891

Zip code 48891, serving the Vestaburg, Michigan area, is home to three high schools: Success Virtual Learning Centers of Michigan, Vestaburg Community High School, and Vestaburg Community Alternative Education School, which together offer a mix of traditional, alternative, and virtual learning environments for students in grades 6 through 12.

For parents, the standout choice is clearly Vestaburg Community High School, which dramatically outperforms the other two options. It boasts a 90% graduation rate, far exceeding the state average of 84%, while the alternative school (37.6%) and the virtual school (32.5%) lag severely behind. Academically, Vestaburg Community High School is the only school near state averages, with 48.1% of 11th graders proficient in SAT Reading/Writing and 40.7% proficient in Science, compared to just 16.2% and 9.6% at the virtual school. The alternative school also struggles, with only 19.6% proficient in SAT Reading/Writing. The traditional high school also has a much lower dropout rate (5.0%) and chronic absenteeism (24.2%) than the alternative school (14.8% and 52.3%, respectively).

The alternative and virtual schools serve a higher-need population, with over 70% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch compared to 45.3% at the traditional high school. Success Virtual Learning Centers of Michigan faces unique challenges with a staggering 78.2:1 student-teacher ratio, which likely contributes to its poor outcomes. While Vestaburg Community Schools spends the most per student ($14,473) at its traditional high school, the alternative school spends more than the virtual school yet still sees lower test scores, showing that funding alone doesn't drive success. Despite the overall low district ranking, Vestaburg Community High School has shown steady improvement in its own ranking for three consecutive years, offering a positive sign for families seeking a stable, effective education in this area.