The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Coleman Juniorsenior High School
Coleman Junior/Senior High School sits in a small, rural city in northwestern Midland County, serving grades seven through twelve as part of Coleman Community Schools. The town of Coleman has a compact footprint centered on Railway Street, with a traditional small-town grid, a historic commercial core, and an industrial base anchored by two plastics manufacturers. Robinson Industries and Huhtamaki Plastics together provide much of the local employment, and the city has an industrial park in its northern section that was built to attract additional employers. The Pere Marquette Rail Trail runs through town, and civic life centers on City Hall, the Coleman Area Library, and annual Memorial Day and Christmas parades. Publicly reported data describe a community with a stable population, a low cost-of-living index, and median household income below state averages.
The school itself is a regular public school with a modest enrollment for its grade band. Half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available, so those population details are absent from this account. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet school.
State assessment results from the most recent school year present a mixed academic picture. In seventh-grade math, proficiency was low, with only a small fraction of tested students reaching the proficient level. Eighth-grade math, assessed through the PSAT, showed a somewhat higher but still modest proficiency rate. English language arts told a different story. Seventh-grade ELA proficiency was low, but eighth-grade ELA proficiency was notably strong, with a substantial majority of tested students performing at or above proficient. Science and social studies proficiency in eighth grade both landed in a middle range, with close to half of tested students reaching proficiency in each subject. When the school's overall proficiency is compared against districts in Midland County, it falls below the midpoint among the four districts with comparable data. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what drives the sharp difference between seventh and eighth grade ELA results, and what supports are in place for middle-grade math, where proficiency is a concern.
No graduation rate was available for this school in the comparison data, and chronic absenteeism figures were also missing. We looked for the school's graduation rate but found it was not reported in the comparison set, so we left it out rather than estimate. Similarly, data on course access, staffing, discipline, and attendance were not provided, so this narrative cannot speak to those dimensions.
The district has made publicly reported investments in program areas that matter to families. Since 2023, Coleman Community Schools has secured grants for its Drama, Athletics, Culinary, and Agriscience programs, pointing to a deliberate effort to broaden opportunities beyond the core academic schedule. The district also operates a School-Based Health Clinic that has served students with on-site visits, giving families a health resource tied directly to the school. These additions suggest a district working to round out the student experience in a small rural setting.
Housing in the area is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. The estimated home value for the zip code is well below the statewide median and roughly half the national figure, and the price-to-income ratio sits at a level that makes ownership accessible for many working families. Year-over-year home value growth has been moderate. No rental data was available for this location. For a family drawn to a small rural community with affordable housing and a school that is building out its program offerings, Coleman Junior/Senior High School presents a setting where the academic picture has real strengths in eighth-grade literacy alongside clear challenges in math. Asking the school directly about its math supports and its graduation outcomes would be a reasonable next step.
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