Summary:
Zip code 49461 is home to a single high school, Whitehall Senior High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Whitehall District Schools.
For parents considering this area, Whitehall Senior High School stands out as a school on a strong upward trajectory. Over the past three years, its state ranking has climbed dramatically from 453rd to 203rd out of roughly 740-800 schools, moving from a 2-star to a 4-star rating. The school’s graduation rate is exceptional at 98%, far exceeding both the district’s 89.9% and the state’s 84%, while its dropout rate of 1.9% is a fraction of the state average. Academically, the school outperforms Michigan averages on the SAT and PSAT in both English and math, with particularly strong 9th and 10th grade math proficiency (51.5% and 44% vs. state averages of 33.5% and lower). However, there is a notable gap on the state-specific M-Step tests: while science proficiency is close to the state average, social studies proficiency lags at 35.4% compared to the state’s 43.2%, suggesting a heavier focus on college-prep benchmarks than state curriculum standards.
One interesting dynamic is that the school consistently outperforms its own district across nearly all metrics, indicating it is a center of excellence within Whitehall District Schools. The school serves a moderately diverse economic population, with 35% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism sits at 25.8%, slightly better than the state average, yet the school still achieves a 98% graduation rate—a sign of strong support systems. With a student-teacher ratio of 19.8 and per-student spending of $13,524, families should note that class sizes may be larger, but the school’s rising rankings and high graduation rates make it a compelling choice for college-bound students.
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