Schools in Zip Code 49461

Zip code 49461, serving the Whitehall, Michigan area, is home to five schools within the Whitehall District Schools system, which collectively educate about 2,013 students from early childhood through 12th grade. The district is ranked in the 62nd percentile of Michigan districts and includes two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative education campus.

Whitehall Senior High School is the district's standout success story, having vaulted from the 39th to the 75th percentile in state rankings over just two years. It now boasts a 98% graduation rate—14 points above the state average—and outperforms Michigan on both SAT reading and math sections. By contrast, White Lake Area Community Education, the alternative school serving a highly at-risk population with an 86% poverty rate, struggles with a 6.6% graduation rate despite receiving $51,137 per student—nearly four times the spending at the traditional high school. Among the elementary schools, Whitehall Ealy Elementary School stands out with consistent 4-star ratings and 5th-grade ELA proficiency at 60%, well above the state average, while Shoreline Elementary School serves the district's youngest learners in grades PK-2.

Families should note that Whitehall Middle School shows a concerning dip in 8th-grade PSAT scores, falling below state averages in both ELA and math despite strong M-Step results in earlier grades. Chronic absenteeism affects roughly one in four students district-wide, peaking at 28.5% in middle school. The district's most persistent academic weakness is social studies, where proficiency lags state averages by 8-10 points across grade levels. However, the overall trajectory is positive: elementary scores consistently exceed state benchmarks, the high school is improving dramatically, and the district's 3-star rating reflects a system investing in measurable gains, even as it grapples with the challenges of serving a diverse student population with varying needs.