Best Public Schools in Zip Code 49684

Schools in zip code 49684, serving the Traverse City, Michigan area, include eight institutions spanning elementary through high school, primarily within the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, with additional options from The Greenspire School district and Northwest Education Services.

For parents, the standout academic performer is TCAPS Montessori School, which consistently leads the area with top state rankings and exceptional math proficiency—its 6th-grade math rate of 85% is more than double the district average. In contrast, Silver Lake Elementary School is the lowest-performing traditional school, with a 2-star rating and proficiency rates well below state averages. At the secondary level, The Greenspire High School has shown strong SAT results, though its state ranking dropped sharply from the 91st to 58th percentile in one year, likely due to metric changes. Meanwhile, North EdCreekside School serves a high-risk alternative population with a 76% free/reduced lunch rate and 60% chronic absenteeism, making its outcomes (0% graduation) not comparable to traditional schools.

Key metrics show wide disparities: chronic absenteeism ranges from a district-low of 18.6% at West Middle School to over 34% at The Greenspire School, while free/reduced lunch eligibility varies from 14% at Willow Hill Elementary School to 76% at North EdCreekside. Per-student spending also varies, from $10,141 at Greenspire High to $16,808 at TCAPS Montessori, yet both perform well, suggesting school model matters more than funding alone. Central Grade School sits in the middle academically but has above-average absenteeism. Overall, this zip code offers a diverse mix—from a top-tier Montessori program to a struggling elementary and a specialized alternative school—so parents should weigh each school’s unique strengths and challenges carefully.