Best Public Schools in Zip Code 49336

Zip code 49336, serving the Morley, Michigan area, is home to three public schools within the Morley Stanwood Community Schools district, covering grades PK-12 with a combined enrollment of 958 students.

For parents, the most striking story here is the contrast between the high school and the lower grades. Morley Stanwood High School shines in student persistence, boasting a 93.2% graduation rate—well above the state’s 84%—and a dropout rate of just 2.7%. It is also the only school in the district showing strong upward momentum, jumping from the 21st to the 46th percentile in state rankings over three years. However, its academic proficiency, especially in 11th-grade math (21% vs. 26.5% statewide), still trails the state. In contrast, Morley Stanwood Elementary School offers a rare bright spot: 45.2% of 5th graders are proficient in English Language Arts, slightly above the state average. Yet this strength does not carry into math, where 4th and 5th graders lag significantly (21.4% and 24.2% vs. 39.4% and 32.2% statewide). The most concerning profile belongs to Morley Stanwood Middle School, where 7th-grade math proficiency plummets to just 12.9%—the lowest in the district—and 7th-grade ELA sits at 17.7% versus a 38.4% state average.

Across all three schools, chronic absenteeism is a systemic red flag, with rates ranging from 27.4% at the elementary to 33.3% at the high school, all above the state’s 27.9%. The district also serves a high-poverty population, with 53% to 66% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Despite spending between $15,667 and $17,229 per student—on par with or above many districts—academic results remain below average, suggesting that funding alone isn’t driving improvement. The severe drop in math proficiency from 5th grade (24.2%) to 6th grade (14.7%) points to a difficult transition into middle school that needs targeted support. While the high school’s graduation success is commendable, the overall picture is one of a district working against socioeconomic headwinds, with pockets of promise but persistent gaps in core subjects.