Best Public Schools in Zip Code 49682

Zip code 49682 in Suttons Bay, Michigan, is served by two public schools within the Suttons Bay Public Schools district, which together educate roughly 339 students across grades PK-12 in a small, economically diverse lakeside community.

Suttons Bay Senior High School stands out as the district's academic anchor, boasting a 94.2% graduation rate—more than 10 points above the state average—and a remarkably low 2.8% dropout rate. However, this success in keeping students on track does not translate to test scores: only 31% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT reading and writing, and math proficiency sits at just 15.8% for 9th graders. In contrast, Suttons Bay Elementary Middle School shows pockets of excellence, particularly in 8th grade where science proficiency (50%) and social studies proficiency (60%) both exceed state averages. Yet the elementary/middle school struggles with consistency—3rd grade ELA jumped from 21.1% to 47.4% proficiency in one year, while 4th grade math languishes at 22.5% versus the 39.4% state average. The high school spends significantly more per student ($28,060 vs. $18,719), which may explain some performance differences, though both schools maintain favorable student-teacher ratios around 14:1.

The most pressing concern across both schools is chronic absenteeism, which affects 54.4% of elementary/middle students and 37.4% of high schoolers—both well above the 27.9% state rate. This likely contributes to the wide year-to-year score swings seen in small cohorts of roughly 20-25 students per grade. Despite serving a population where 61-68% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the district demonstrates that success is achievable, as evidenced by the high school's exceptional graduation outcomes and the elementary school's strong 8th grade social studies performance. For parents, this means choosing between a high school that excels at student retention but struggles with college readiness benchmarks, and an elementary/middle school with promising subject-specific strengths but inconsistent overall achievement. The district's small size allows for personalized attention, but families should be prepared for variability in academic outcomes from year to year.