Best Public Schools in Zip Code 49261

Schools in zip code 49261, part of the Napoleon Community Schools district in Michigan, serve approximately 1,290 students across four schools spanning grades PK-12, with a district ranking in the 52nd percentile statewide.

For parents, the standout choice in this area is clearly Napoleon High School, which leads the district academically and is the only school showing consistent improvement in its state ranking (rising from the 59th to 68th percentile). It boasts a 94.2% graduation rate—far above the state average of 84%—and outperforms state benchmarks in 11th-grade science and SAT reading/writing. In stark contrast, Ackerson High School appears to be an alternative program facing serious challenges, with an 84% chronic absenteeism rate, a 24% graduation rate, and proficiency scores in the low 30s or below. This school also serves a much higher percentage of students from low-income households (73.8% free/reduced lunch) yet receives the lowest per-student funding ($13,357) and has the highest student-teacher ratio (28:1) in the district—an inverse relationship between need and resources that raises concerns about support allocation.

At the elementary and middle levels, Ezra Eby Elementary School shows a promising pattern of improvement in upper grades, with 5th graders significantly outperforming state averages in ELA (58.4% vs. 43.8%), science (62.9% vs. 40%), and social studies (37.1% vs. 27.5%). However, Napoleon Middle School is a point of concern, with its state ranking dropping from the 67th to 47th percentile and 7th-grade ELA proficiency falling 10 points in one year to just 19.3%—well below the state's 38.4%. Chronic absenteeism hovers around 20-22% across the traditional schools, below the state average but still notable. Overall, families should weigh the strong high school performance against the middle school slump and the significant disparities at Ackerson when evaluating this district.