Summary:
Zip code 49682 is home to just one high school, Suttons Bay Senior High School, a small public school serving grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 125 students in the Suttons Bay Public Schools district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that this is a school with strong student retention but significant attendance challenges. The graduation rate is excellent at 94.2%, far outpacing the state average of 84.0%, and the dropout rate is just 2.8% compared to 7.1% statewide. However, over a third of students (37.4%) are chronically absent, which is notably higher than the state average of 27.9%. This creates a paradox where students who stay enrolled tend to finish, but many are missing substantial class time. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $28,060 per pupil—more than double the national average—which likely reflects the cost of small class sizes (13.8:1 student-teacher ratio) and support services for a population where 61.6% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Academically, performance is mixed. The school excels in Social Studies, with 50% proficiency versus 43.2% statewide, but lags in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (31% proficient vs. 52.1% state) and math. Science scores dropped sharply from 44.4% to 26.7% in one year, illustrating how volatile metrics can be with such a small student body. State rankings have fluctuated between the 38th and 54th percentiles over three years, reflecting this sensitivity to individual class performance. Notably, the school outperforms its own district in graduation rate (94.2% vs. 84.0%) and absenteeism (37.4% vs. 52.6%), making it a relative bright spot within Suttons Bay Public Schools. While high spending and strong graduation rates are positives, parents should be aware of the attendance issue and inconsistent test scores when evaluating this school.
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