High Schools in Hemlock Public School District

The Hemlock Public School District in Michigan is home to two high schools: Hemlock High School and Hemlock Virtual. While Hemlock High School is a strong-performing school, consistently ranking among the top schools in the state, Hemlock Virtual has struggled significantly, with low rankings, poor academic performance, and high dropout and chronic absenteeism rates.

Hemlock High School has a statewide ranking of 67 out of 743 Michigan high schools and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating its excellence. In contrast, Hemlock Virtual ranked 671 out of 824 Michigan high schools in the 2017-2018 school year and received only 1 star from SchoolDigger. The significant difference in spending per student between the two schools ($14,617 for Hemlock High School vs. $7,144 for Hemlock Virtual) may be a contributing factor to the performance gap.

The racial makeup of the two schools is relatively similar, with a predominance of White students and a small percentage of Hispanic and multiracial students. However, the high chronic absenteeism rates, especially at Hemlock Virtual (27.8%), are a concern and may be an area for the Hemlock Public School District to focus on, as chronic absenteeism is often linked to lower academic achievement and higher dropout rates. The district should examine the factors contributing to these differences and work to address any equity and resource allocation issues to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.