Union High School

Summary:

Union High School is a public high school located in Dowagiac, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 532. The school is part of the Dowagiac Union School District, which is ranked 400 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Union High School faces several challenges, including a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (20.3%) and multi-racial (14.1%) students compared to the surrounding schools. The school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 85.8% to 90.5% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average. However, it has also seen a fluctuating dropout rate, ranging from 3.7% to 9.1% in recent years, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, Union High School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 26.5% in 2018-2019 to 59.3% in 2020-2021, a concerning trend.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Berrien Springs High School, Union High School generally performs at a lower level in terms of state rankings, test scores, and other key metrics. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with lower rankings and test scores for African American, White, and special education students. These challenges are likely influenced by the school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 64.1% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, as well as the broader budgetary constraints faced by the Dowagiac Union School District.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 701 W Prairie Ronde St
       Dowagiac, MI  49047-1072


(269) 782-4420

District: Dowagiac Union School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
385th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,115 Help


Feeder schools for Union High School:

Elementary:    Justus Gage Elementary School
    Kincheloe Elementary School
    Patrick Hamilton Elementary
    Sister Lakes Elementary School
Middle:    Dowagiac Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  20.1 Help
Number of students:  532

Racial breakdown:

White:
58.8%
Hispanic:
20.3%
Two or more races:
14.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Union High School ranks worse than 51.8% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.39. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Union High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Union High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (58.8%), Hispanic (20.3%), two or more races (14.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 64.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union High School is 20.1. (See more...)
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Compare Union High School employs 26.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union High School is $15,115.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Union High School 385th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Union High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Dowagiac Union School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Dowagiac Union School District 400th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Union High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 71.71 223rd 705 68.4%
2007 69.61 260th 767 66.1%
2008 60.74 374th 750 50.1%
2009 62.85 355th 754 52.9%
2010 59.67 399th 765 47.8%
2011 60.87 394th 784 49.7%
2012 52.09 416th 773 46.2%
2013 50.08 430th 805 46.6%
2014 51.39 423rd 799 47.1%
2015 53.34 406th 832 51.2%
2016 47.79 430th 852 49.5%
2017 38.19 471st 835 43.6%
2018 43.58 460th 824 44.2%
2019 32.21 460th 666 30.9%
2021 32.87 383rd 561 31.7%
2022 28.10 437th 531 17.7%
2023 50.97 342nd 735 53.5%
2024 44.39 385th 743 48.2%
See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.37 60th 93 35.5%
2022 17.73 30th 32 6.3%
2023 77.00 18th 110 83.6%
2024 32.89 69th 105 34.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.35 15th 102 85.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.78 175th 315 44.4%
2019 35.48 38th 61 37.7%
2023 70.56 27th 116 76.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.78 441st 755 41.6%
2019 34.35 373rd 532 29.9%
2021 46.54 224th 417 46.3%
2022 40.12 260th 369 29.5%
2023 67.88 161st 614 73.8%
2024 52.34 282nd 654 56.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.79 482nd 710 32.1%
2019 30.03 407th 554 26.5%
2021 53.18 192nd 462 58.4%
2022 20.94 380th 416 8.7%
2023 45.42 329th 611 46.2%
2024 43.37 338th 619 45.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.33 386th 707 45.4%
2019 36.49 360th 543 33.7%
2021 22.04 385th 472 18.4%
2022 25.19 362nd 440 17.7%
2023 47.25 312th 611 48.9%
2024 34.79 409th 633 35.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.81 87th 254 65.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.73 148th 201 26.4%
2021 34.31 47th 64 26.6%
2023 25.14 150th 190 21.1%
2024 47.77 95th 195 51.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Union High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.10 412th 708 41.8%
2019 24.06 460th 582 21.0%
2021 40.06 298th 516 42.2%
2022 25.38 402nd 492 18.3%
2023 53.08 271st 647 58.1%
2024 40.79 377th 638 40.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Union High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Union High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 742 97 7 25 12 n/a n/a 0 883
1989 707 93 9 23 7 n/a n/a -2 837
1990 637 95 10 54 6 n/a n/a -2 800
1991 614 94 5 57 7 n/a n/a 0 777
1992 609 103 6 55 8 n/a n/a 0 781
1993 613 107 8 45 6 n/a n/a 0 779
1994 611 90 5 70 8 n/a n/a 0 784
1995 628 85 6 70 4 n/a n/a 0 793
1996 628 85 6 70 4 n/a n/a 0 793
1997 659 84 5 74 3 n/a n/a 0 825
1998 648 91 8 81 5 n/a n/a 0 833
1999 621 82 4 63 5 n/a n/a 0 775
2000 640 73 2 63 4 n/a n/a 0 782
2001 681 66 6 44 9 n/a n/a 0 806
2002 642 70 4 68 4 n/a n/a 0 788
2003 642 70 4 68 4 n/a n/a 0 788
2004 595 70 5 72 7 n/a n/a 0 749
2005 567 76 9 78 7 n/a n/a 0 737
2006 588 70 4 61 12 n/a n/a 1 736
2007 564 73 4 58 18 n/a n/a 1 718
2008 535 73 6 61 18 n/a n/a 1 694
2009 525 70 2 48 14 n/a n/a 0 659
2010 485 83 4 58 13 n/a n/a 0 643
2011 466 66 4 58 14 0 2 0 610
2012 472 72 3 72 17 0 4 0 640
2013 461 80 5 85 12 0 14 0 657
2014 453 72 3 87 14 0 23 0 652
2015 433 64 5 85 8 0 35 0 630
2016 424 54 3 90 0 0 73 0 644
2017 383 54 3 83 2 0 69 0 594
2018 370 58 1 95 3 0 65 0 592
2019 385 67 2 96 6 0 64 0 620
2020 365 60 1 88 8 0 71 0 593
2021 359 53 0 92 4 0 71 0 579
2022 346 47 0 96 4 0 72 0 565
2023 313 34 0 108 2 0 75 0 532

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Union High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 883 n/a n/a n/a
1989 837 n/a n/a 11
1990 800 54.0 14.8 13.6
1991 777 n/a n/a n/a
1992 781 n/a n/a 16
1993 779 n/a 0.0 16
1994 784 40.0 19.6 13.3
1995 793 40.7 19.5 16.8
1996 793 40.7 19.5 16.8
1997 825 40.0 20.6 15.9
1998 833 42.0 19.8 23.9
1999 775 42.0 18.5 18.1
2000 782 41.8 18.7 23.4
2001 806 42.3 19.1 25.7
2002 788 44.0 17.9 32.1
2003 788 44.0 17.9 32.1
2004 749 43.5 17.2 39.8
2005 737 41.2 17.9 35
2006 736 40.9 18.0 42
2007 718 41.3 17.4 33.9
2008 694 38.0 18.3 48.1
2009 659 35.9 18.4 46
2010 643 38.5 16.7 52.4
2011 610 32.2 18.9 54.9
2012 640 29.0 22.0 59.2
2013 657 28.9 22.7 63.2
2014 652 29.6 21.9 63.8
2015 630 31.0 20.3 67.8
2016 644 31.0 20.7 65.7
2017 594 30.1 19.7 64.3
2018 592 29.5 20.0 69.8
2019 620 28.1 21.9 60.5
2020 593 28.9 20.4 69.6
2021 579 27.4 21.1 79.8
2022 565 25.1 22.4 60
2023 532 26.4 20.1 64.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Union High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 883 n/a n/a n/a
1989 837 n/a n/a 11
1990 800 54.0 14.8 13.6
1991 777 n/a n/a n/a
1992 781 n/a n/a 16
1993 779 n/a 0.0 16
1994 784 40.0 19.6 13.3
1995 793 40.7 19.5 16.8
1996 793 40.7 19.5 16.8
1997 825 40.0 20.6 15.9
1998 833 42.0 19.8 23.9
1999 775 42.0 18.5 18.1
2000 782 41.8 18.7 23.4
2001 806 42.3 19.1 25.7
2002 788 44.0 17.9 32.1
2003 788 44.0 17.9 32.1
2004 749 43.5 17.2 39.8
2005 737 41.2 17.9 35
2006 736 40.9 18.0 42
2007 718 41.3 17.4 33.9
2008 694 38.0 18.3 48.1
2009 659 35.9 18.4 46
2010 643 38.5 16.7 52.4
2011 610 32.2 18.9 54.9
2012 640 29.0 22.0 59.2
2013 657 28.9 22.7 63.2
2014 652 29.6 21.9 63.8
2015 630 31.0 20.3 67.8
2016 644 31.0 20.7 65.7
2017 594 30.1 19.7 64.3
2018 592 29.5 20.0 69.8
2019 620 28.1 21.9 60.5
2020 593 28.9 20.4 69.6
2021 579 27.4 21.1 79.8
2022 565 25.1 22.4 60
2023 532 26.4 20.1 64.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Union High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $786 (7.4%) $9,879 (92.6%) $10,666
2020 $778 (6.9%) $10,447 (93.1%) $11,224
2021 $1,237 (10.9%) $10,125 (89.1%) $11,362
2022 $4,752 (30.1%) $11,030 (69.9%) $15,783
2023 $1,594 (10.5%) $13,522 (89.5%) $15,115

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 460th of 666 High schoolsRanks 342nd of 735 High schools
 22.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Union High School)48.745.3
 3.4%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Dowagiac Union School District)47.142.2
 4.9%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)46.636.1
 10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Union High School)39.346.3
 7%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Dowagiac Union School District)37.745.1
 7.4%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)55.352.2
 3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Union High School)13.714.7
 1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Dowagiac Union School District)13.113.7
 0.6%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)36.329.9
 6.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students620532
 14.2%
African American6734
 49.3%
American Indian62
 66.7%
Asian20
 100%
Hispanic96108
 12.5%
Pacific Islander00
White385313
 18.7%
Two or More Races6475
 17.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.5%64.1%
 3.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Union High School

Union High School ranks 385th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Union High School are 59% White, 20% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 6% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 532 students attended Union High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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