Summary:
Zip code 49053 is home to just one public high school, Galesburg-Augusta High School, which serves grades 9-12 in the rural community of Galesburg, Michigan, as part of the Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools district.
For parents considering this area, the standout feature of Galesburg-Augusta High School is its remarkable success in keeping students on track to graduate. With a 96.6% graduation rate—far above the state average of 84.0%—and a 0.0% dropout rate, the school clearly excels at student retention. The small enrollment of 263 students and a favorable 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio suggest a close-knit environment where students can receive individual attention. However, this positive picture is complicated by a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 37.6%, meaning more than a third of students are regularly missing school, which is significantly worse than the state's 27.9% average. This disconnect between high graduation and low daily attendance is the school's most puzzling issue.
Academically, the school presents a mixed profile. In the most recent data, 11th-grade science proficiency (36.7%) slightly exceeded the state average, and 9th-grade PSAT English Language Arts scores (59%) nearly matched the state. However, mathematics is a serious weakness: only 13.3% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT Math, less than half the state's 26.5%, and this math deficiency appears across all grade levels. Social studies (31.7%) also trails the state (43.2%). Furthermore, year-over-year comparisons show declines in reading, writing, math, and social studies for the current junior class. Despite spending a substantial $17,818 per student, the school struggles to translate its resources into strong math outcomes, suggesting a need for targeted curriculum changes and intervention programs to address both absenteeism and core academic skills.
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