Northport Public School District, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Northport Public School District

Northport Public School District is a single-school district on the Leelanau Peninsula, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade in one building. The enrollment is very small, with only a handful of students per grade level across the entire K-through-12 span. This is a community where a parent would know their child's classmates and teachers by name, and where class sizes are intimate by necessity rather than by policy. The district draws from an area where housing is expensive relative to both state and national benchmarks, and the price-to-income ratio sits well above what most families would find comfortable. Publicly reported data shows the district spends far more per pupil than its peer districts in Leelanau County, which reflects the economics of operating a full K-through-12 program for a small student body.

The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial American Indian or Alaska Native presence and a similarly sized Hispanic enrollment. A smaller portion of students identify as two or more races. We looked for free-or-reduced-price lunch data, special education rates, and English learner figures, but those were not available in the provided data, so we cannot characterize the economic or disability profile of the student body from what is here.

On state assessments, the picture is limited by the district's size. Several grade levels show zero students tested in a given subject, and those results are suppressed, which is a common consequence of very small cohorts rather than a signal about performance. Where results are reported, they are mixed. In the elementary grades, ELA proficiency appears stronger than math, with one grade level reaching a majority-proficient mark in ELA. Middle-grade math and ELA results that are available sit below the halfway point. Science and social studies results across the tested grades are suppressed entirely. The district's overall proficiency index, which averages reported rates across tested subjects and grades, places it below the midpoint among Leelanau County's districts. A parent looking at these numbers should keep in mind that each grade-level result represents only a few students, so a single child's performance can move the rate dramatically from year to year. This is the nature of a tiny district, and it makes trend data hard to read.

Chronic absenteeism is an area where Northport stands out positively. The district's rate is in the top quartile among Leelanau County districts, meaning fewer students are chronically absent than at most peer districts. That suggests students and families are showing up, which matters in a small school where each student's presence shapes the daily experience for everyone.

We did not find a graduation rate in the data, and the county comparison marks it as not applicable due to a missing entity value. We also did not find program offerings, advanced coursework, dual-credit pathways, career and technical education, staffing ratios, discipline data, or attendance details beyond the chronic absenteeism figure. The district brief search found no parent-relevant changes or strategic initiatives reported recently, so there is little to say about the district's direction from the available material. A parent wanting to understand what the academic program looks like day to day, especially at the high school level, would need to contact the school directly, because the data here covers the basics but leaves most programmatic questions open.

This is a district for families who value a small, close-knit setting and are comfortable with the tradeoffs that come with it. The housing market is steep, the per-pupil investment is high, and the academic data that exists is thin because the student body is so small. What the data does show is a community where students tend to show up, and where the school is the central institution. Whether that fits depends on what a family is looking for and what questions they are prepared to ask the school directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

126

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 17%

White 56%

Two+ 10%

Am. Indian / AK Native 17%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 6

25%

—

Math

Gr 6

33%

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

Northport Public School

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

2 grades reported

40%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 6

English Language Arts

2 grades reported

60%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 6

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$792,370

Year-over-year change+2.5%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$613K to $1.0M

vs. state typical3.01x

vs. national typical2.15x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
49670		$794K	+2.7%	86.7%
49682	Suttons Bay	$613K	-2.6%	7.6%
49674		$1.0M	+6.2%	5.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,998/mo

Home price / national median income9.5x

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.