Climax-scotts Community Schools, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Climax-scotts Community Schools

Climax-Scotts Community Schools is a small, single-community district in eastern Kalamazoo County serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates three schools: an elementary building, a high school, and a virtual academy, giving families both a traditional and an online option within the same system. Enrollment is modest, with roughly two dozen students per grade level, which means class sizes stay small and students are likely to be known by name across the building. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data, English learner counts, and special education rates were not available in the provided data, so the economic picture of the student population is something a parent would want to ask the district about directly.

On state assessments, Climax-Scotts shows a mixed but uneven academic profile. In English language arts, the district's strongest result by far comes in eighth grade, where proficiency runs well above what most of the other grades post. Fourth grade also stands out as relatively strong. The lower elementary and middle grades in ELA are weaker, with proficiency sitting below where most families would want to see it. Math follows a similar pattern of inconsistency, with third and seventh grades performing reasonably well while fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth grades trail off, sixth grade in particular. Science results are decent at fifth grade but drop by eighth. Social studies is the weakest subject in fifth grade but rebounds strongly by eighth. Taken together, the district's overall proficiency lands just above the midpoint among Kalamazoo County's districts, which is a reasonable standing for a district of this size, though the grade-to-grade swings suggest that academic preparation varies depending on the cohort and the teacher a child happens to have.

Chronic absenteeism is a concern. The district's rate sits below the midpoint of the county's districts, meaning a larger share of students miss school frequently than at most neighboring districts. This is the kind of number that affects classroom momentum and peer culture, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what is driving it and what interventions are in place. Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range of the county, on the lower half, which is typical for a smaller rural district without the tax base of its more suburban neighbors.

The housing market around Climax-Scotts is relatively affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. The district draws from several small communities, with Climax and Scotts carrying the most weight in the housing mix. Home values in the Scotts area run higher than in Climax proper, while nearby areas like Comstock and parts of Battle Creek that fall within the district's zip-code footprint offer lower-priced options. Rents are modest and close to the estimated mortgage payment for a typical home, meaning buying and renting are financially comparable for many families. Home values have been appreciating, with growth outpacing the state average, which points to a gradually tightening market rather than a stagnant one.

We searched for recent district-level changes such as bond issues, facility projects, or program launches and found little of lasting impact, so there is nothing major to flag on that front. No graduation rate data was available in the provided data set, nor were participation rates for state assessments. The district does offer a virtual academy, which gives families an alternative to the traditional classroom without leaving the district. For a family looking for a small, close-knit school community where their child will not get lost in the crowd, Climax-Scotts offers that environment. The academic results are respectable for the county context, though the inconsistency across grades and the absenteeism rate are worth probing before committing.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

588

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 8%

Black 2%

White 86%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

—

35%

Gr 4

40%

50%

Gr 5

47%

36%

Gr 6

—

30%

Gr 7

23%

42%

Gr 8

46%

—

Math

Gr 3

—

61%

Gr 4

—

32%

Gr 5

—

33%

Gr 6

—

20%

Gr 7

23%

50%

Gr 8

21%

35%

Science

Gr 5

40%

52%

Gr 8

30%

37%

Social studies

Gr 5

—

21%

Gr 8

25%

63%

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

ClimaxScotts High School

ClimaxScotts Elementary School

ClimaxScotts Virtual Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

42%

Grade 3

28%

Grade 4

27%

Grade 5

20%

Grade 6

41%

Grade 7

27%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

28%

Grade 3

47%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 5

27%

Grade 6

36%

Grade 7

66%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

48%

Grade 5

33%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

19%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$283,489

Year-over-year change+6.3%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$199K to $327K

vs. state typical1.08x

vs. national typical0.77x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
49034	Climax	$265K	+7.4%	53.6%
49088	Scotts	$327K	+4.2%	34.0%
49052	Vicksburg	$255K	+10.9%	5.7%
49051	East Leroy	$286K	+4.9%	2.3%
49048	Comstock	$199K	+3.6%	2.3%
49015	Battle Creek	$210K	+5.9%	1.8%
49053	Greater Galesburg	$288K	+4.4%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,319/mo

Year-over-year change+6.9%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,302 to $1,341/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
49048	Comstock	$1,302	+7.1%	2.3%
49015	Battle Creek	$1,341	+6.7%	1.8%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,430/mo

Home price / national median income3.4x

Annual rent / national median income18.9%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$111/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$263,590 (+4.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.