The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Inland Lakes Secondary School
Inland Lakes Secondary School sits along South Straits Highway in Indian River, a small unincorporated community in Cheboygan County pressed between Burt Lake and Mullett Lake. The school serves grades six through twelve as the secondary building for Inland Lakes Schools, a regular public district. Indian River is an auto-oriented place shaped by tourism, lakefront living, and seasonal recreation. The community's population has been slowly declining over recent decades, and its demographic profile skews older, with a relatively small share of households including children under eighteen. For a family considering this school, that context means fewer peers in the immediate neighborhood than a family might find in a denser suburb, but also a setting where outdoor life and lake access are part of the everyday environment.
The school itself is small for a secondary building spanning seven grade levels. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, or multiracial. The district did not report IEP or English-learner figures in the data available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
On state assessments from the most recent school year, the academic picture is mixed. In English language arts, sixth-grade proficiency was in the lower range, seventh-grade results were moderately stronger, and eighth-grade proficiency stood out as a clear bright spot, with a majority of tested students reaching proficiency. Mathematics results told a different story. Sixth-grade math proficiency was moderate, seventh-grade dipped, and eighth-grade proficiency was notably low. Science proficiency among eighth graders landed in the lower-to-moderate range, and social studies results for the same grade were in a similar middle band. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among districts in Cheboygan County, a comparison set that includes only a handful of districts. The strongest academic signal here is eighth-grade ELA; the weakest is mathematics, particularly at the upper middle grades. A parent may want to look into how the school supports math progression from sixth through eighth grade, since the data shows a downward trend across those years.
The state assessment data carries a flag indicating a change in social studies cut scores, which means year-over-year comparisons for that subject should be treated cautiously. Trend data across multiple years was not available for the other subjects, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent an improvement or decline from prior performance.
No graduation rate was reported for this school in the data provided. Because the school does serve twelfth grade, that absence is not explained by grade band alone, and the reason is not stated in the available data. Chronic absenteeism figures were also missing. Program offerings, course access details, staffing ratios, discipline data, and attendance information were not available. Families wanting to understand advanced coursework, career and technical education, dual-enrollment options, or extracurricular offerings would need to contact the school directly, as none of that appeared in the data reviewed.
The housing market around Indian River is more affordable than national figures but sits above the Michigan state benchmark. Typical home values are moderate by national standards, and the price-to-income ratio suggests that buying a home in the area is within reach for many working families compared to much of the country. Rent data was not available for this zip code. The community's economic base leans on tourism, recreation, and seasonal hospitality, and no major employers were identified in the research available. Publicly reported sources describe the area as a vacation destination and seasonal-home community with a smaller year-round residential base.
Civic anchors in Indian River include Burt Lake State Park, the North Central State Trail running through town, and the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods. The Inland Waterway, a chain of lakes and rivers, shapes much of the recreational life. I-75 provides regional highway access. No public library was mentioned in available sources, and walkability is limited by the dispersed rural layout.
The district brief did not surface any lasting parent-relevant changes in recent years. Inland Lakes Schools appears to be operating steadily without major restructuring or program shifts documented in the available research. For a family weighing this school, the core questions to bring to administration would center on math instruction and support through the middle grades, what graduation and postsecondary pathways look like for high school students, and how the school serves students who may need additional academic or behavioral support.
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