Best Public Schools in Zip Code 49735

Schools in zip code 49735, serving the Gaylord, Michigan area, include five schools within the Gaylord Community Schools district, covering grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of roughly 2,747 students.

For parents, the standout school in this area is Gaylord Middle School, which consistently earns a 4-star rating and outperforms state averages across nearly every subject. Its 7th grade ELA proficiency is 49.5% versus the state's 38.4%, and 8th grade PSAT ELA scores reach 72% proficiency. This strong middle school performance appears to feed into Gaylord High School Voc Bldg, which recently jumped from a 3-star to a 4-star rating, climbing 178 spots in state rankings. The high school now exceeds state averages in all subjects, including a 90.1% graduation rate (state: 84%) and strong science (44.1% vs 35.2%) and social studies (56.5% vs 43.2%) scores. In contrast, the elementary schools — North Ohio Elementary School and South Maple Elementary School — hover near or below state averages in 3rd grade ELA and math, despite spending significantly more per student ($18,556 and $16,986 respectively). Gaylord Intermediate School shows a mixed picture: it exceeds state averages in 6th grade but struggles in 5th grade, where math proficiency dropped to 22.5% (state: 32.2%) and social studies sits at just 16.5% (state: 27.5%).

Overall, this district demonstrates a clear upward academic trajectory — students start below state norms in elementary, improve through intermediate grades, peak at middle school, and maintain strong performance in high school. The most notable concern is the 5th grade dip at the intermediate school, which warrants investigation. Additionally, while Gaylord Middle School achieves excellent results, its chronic absenteeism rate (28.1%) slightly exceeds the state average, suggesting even stronger outcomes could be possible with improved attendance. For parents, this district offers a path where students who persist through the early years can achieve impressive academic success by middle and high school.