Is Kalkaska High School a good school?

Kalkaska High School ranks 250 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kalkaska High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 466 students attended Kalkaska High School.

What is the racial makeup of Kalkaska High School?

Students at Kalkaska High School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Kalkaska High School?

Kalkaska High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Kalkaska Elementary School Elementary : Rapid City Elementary School Middle : Kalkaska Middle School

Kalkaska High School

Summary:

Kalkaska High School is a public high school in Kalkaska, Michigan, serving 449 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, which is ranked 323 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kalkaska High School stands out in several ways. It has a significantly higher percentage of white students (90.2%) compared to nearby schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school's graduation rates have fluctuated, ranging from 72.2% in 2020-2021 to 84.6% in 2021-2022, which is lower than the state average. Additionally, Kalkaska High School has experienced an increasing dropout rate, reaching 11.8% in 2022-2023, much higher than the surrounding schools. The school has also seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching 37.7% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state average and nearby schools.

Kalkaska High School's academic performance is generally on par with or slightly below the state and district averages, with some notable exceptions. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (44.1%) and SAT/Mathematics (28.8%) were lower than the state averages. Compared to higher-performing nearby schools, such as Central High School and Bellaire MiddleHigh School, Kalkaska High School's performance lags behind. The school's relatively high percentage of students (61.47% in 2022-2023) receiving free or reduced-price lunch may contribute to these challenges, and targeted interventions and support are needed to address the concerning trends and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

109 N Birch St
Kalkaska, MI 49646-7931

(231) 258-9167

District: Kalkaska Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
250^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,508

Student/teacher ratio: 19.4

Number of students: 466

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.3%

Hispanic:

4.7%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.1%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Kalkaska High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kalkaska High School ranks better than 66.4% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.63. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kalkaska High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.7%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kalkaska High School is 19.4. (See more...)

Compare Kalkaska High School employs 24 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kalkaska High School is $14,508.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kalkaska High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kalkaska High School 250^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Kalkaska High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Kalkaska Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kalkaska Public Schools 323^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Kalkaska High School.

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Rank History for Kalkaska High School

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Rank History for all students at Kalkaska High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	56.85	374^th	705	47.0%
2007	72.19	222^nd	767	71.1%
2008	55.61	423^rd	750	43.6%
2009	68.89	283^rd	754	62.5%
2010	72.51	238^th	765	68.9%
2011	68.24	304^th	784	61.2%
2012	62.73	306^th	773	60.4%
2013	60.46	328^th	805	59.3%
2014	69.18	235^th	799	70.6%
2015	71.17	236^th	832	71.6%
2016	69.68	237^th	852	72.2%
2017	75.18	160^th	835	80.8%
2018	59.20	322^nd	824	60.9%
2019	49.68	331^st	666	50.3%
2021	49.85	250^th	561	55.4%
2022	49.64	291^st	531	45.2%
2023	63.18	233^rd	735	68.3%
2024	61.63	250^th	743	66.4%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Kalkaska High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.68	186^th	315	41.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	65.86	213^th	755	71.8%
2019	49.28	274^th	532	48.5%
2021	74.49	75^th	417	82.0%
2022	56.99	168^th	369	54.5%
2023	59.99	216^th	614	64.8%
2024	66.67	173^rd	654	73.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Kalkaska High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	45.69	380^th	710	46.5%
2019	41.18	339^th	554	38.8%
2021	33.98	315^th	462	31.8%
2022	59.11	180^th	416	56.7%
2023	62.57	198^th	611	67.6%
2024	67.89	157^th	619	74.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kalkaska High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	65.24	239^th	707	66.2%
2019	45.86	292^nd	543	46.2%
2021	53.76	181^st	472	61.7%
2022	26.45	359^th	440	18.4%
2023	54.85	246^th	611	59.7%
2024	42.54	350^th	633	44.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Kalkaska High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	45.69	383^rd	708	45.9%
2019	40.18	355^th	582	39.0%
2021	44.03	271^st	516	47.5%
2022	36.32	339^th	492	31.1%
2023	46.58	320^th	647	50.5%
2024	51.37	285^th	638	55.3%

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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, September 12, 2011

After moving to Kalkaska in November 2010, I have been very happy with the interaction between Teachers & School and home. Thanks to all the teachers and staff who go above and beyond. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Kalkaska High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	566	1	1	2	6	n/a	n/a	576
1989	532	0	2	1	4	n/a	n/a	539
1990	539	0	5	1	1	n/a	n/a	546
1991	533	0	3	3	4	n/a	n/a	543
1992	547	0	3	3	2	n/a	n/a	555
1993	627	0	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	638
1994	602	3	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	612
1995	600	2	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	605
1996	600	2	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	605
1997	615	1	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	618
1998	690	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	695
1999	591	1	3	2	2	n/a	n/a	599
2000	604	2	4	2	4	n/a	n/a	616
2001	578	2	9	2	7	n/a	n/a	598
2002	557	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	560
2003	557	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	560
2004	548	1	3	2	5	n/a	n/a	559
2005	558	1	3	5	5	n/a	n/a	572
2006	519	2	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	532
2007	485	1	3	3	7	n/a	n/a	499
2008	451	1	2	3	7	n/a	n/a	464
2009	451	1	3	2	4	n/a	n/a	461
2010	457	0	5	2	7	n/a	n/a	471
2011	431	0	6	5	8	0	1	451
2012	434	0	3	11	12	0	4	464
2013	411	0	6	9	9	0	3	438
2014	419	2	6	9	6	0	1	443
2015	422	5	4	9	7	0	4	451
2016	453	5	2	8	2	0	3	473
2017	460	8	6	17	2	0	4	497
2018	416	6	4	20	3	0	4	453
2019	410	4	2	11	2	0	5	434
2020	408	2	1	14	2	1	6	434
2021	421	1	1	15	2	1	11	452
2022	437	1	1	16	3	1	6	465
2023	405	5	3	20	3	1	12	449
2024	421	8	4	22	1	0	10	466

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 Kalkaska High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	576	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	539	n/a	n/a	11.3
1990	546	27.0	20.2	11.2
1991	543	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	555	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	638	n/a	0.0	0
1994	612	32.3	18.9	14.1
1995	605	30.5	19.8	12.7
1996	605	30.5	19.8	12.7
1997	618	31.0	19.9	12
1998	695	32.0	21.7	9.8
1999	599	29.0	20.7	8.5
2000	616	30.1	20.5	11.9
2001	598	27.8	21.5	23.4
2002	560	n/a	n/a	33.2
2003	560	n/a	n/a	33.2
2004	559	27.3	20.5	33.6
2005	572	25.0	22.9	35
2006	532	22.1	24.1	34.4
2007	499	20.5	24.3	38.1
2008	464	20.0	23.2	38.1
2009	461	19.4	23.8	49
2010	471	21.0	22.3	51.8
2011	451	22.4	20.1	48.3
2012	464	21.8	21.2	55.4
2013	438	21.8	20.0	56.6
2014	443	19.6	22.5	48.3
2015	451	21.0	21.4	53.4
2016	473	21.0	22.5	51.2
2017	497	20.0	24.8	54.5
2018	453	25.6	17.6	53
2019	434	22.0	19.7	56
2020	434	25.7	16.8	56.2
2021	452	26.0	17.3	64.2
2022	465	24.5	18.9	55.5
2023	449	24.2	18.5	61.5
2024	466	24.0	19.4	52.1

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 Kalkaska High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	576	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	539	n/a	n/a	11.3
1990	546	27.0	20.2	11.2
1991	543	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	555	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	638	n/a	0.0	0
1994	612	32.3	18.9	14.1
1995	605	30.5	19.8	12.7
1996	605	30.5	19.8	12.7
1997	618	31.0	19.9	12
1998	695	32.0	21.7	9.8
1999	599	29.0	20.7	8.5
2000	616	30.1	20.5	11.9
2001	598	27.8	21.5	23.4
2002	560	n/a	n/a	33.2
2003	560	n/a	n/a	33.2
2004	559	27.3	20.5	33.6
2005	572	25.0	22.9	35
2006	532	22.1	24.1	34.4
2007	499	20.5	24.3	38.1
2008	464	20.0	23.2	38.1
2009	461	19.4	23.8	49
2010	471	21.0	22.3	51.8
2011	451	22.4	20.1	48.3
2012	464	21.8	21.2	55.4
2013	438	21.8	20.0	56.6
2014	443	19.6	22.5	48.3
2015	451	21.0	21.4	53.4
2016	473	21.0	22.5	51.2
2017	497	20.0	24.8	54.5
2018	453	25.6	17.6	53
2019	434	22.0	19.7	56
2020	434	25.7	16.8	56.2
2021	452	26.0	17.3	64.2
2022	465	24.5	18.9	55.5
2023	449	24.2	18.5	61.5
2024	466	24.0	19.4	52.1

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 Kalkaska High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$624 (6.2%)	$9,515 (93.8%)	$10,139
2020	$501 (4.6%)	$10,437 (95.4%)	$10,938
2021	$1,149 (9.1%)	$11,426 (90.9%)	$12,576
2022	$1,187 (9.0%)	$12,025 (91.0%)	$13,211
2023	$1,234 (8.5%)	$13,274 (91.5%)	$14,508

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kalkaska 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 331^st of 666 High schools	Ranks 233^rd of 735 High schools	18%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Kalkaska High School)	42.9	41.9	1%
11th Grade Social Studies (Kalkaska Public Schools)	40	41.9	1.9%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Kalkaska High School)	52.3	55.8	3.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Kalkaska Public Schools)	51.6	55.8	4.2%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kalkaska High School)	34.9	27.4	7.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kalkaska Public Schools)	33	27.4	5.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)	36.3	29.9	6.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	434	449	3.5%
African American	4	5	25%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	11	20	81.8%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	410	405	1.2%
Two or More Races	5	12	140%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56%	61.5%	5.5%

Schools Near Kalkaska High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)		M-Step Math (2024)	M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kalkaska High School	Public	9-12	109 N Birch St	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 258-9167	466	24	19.4	52.1%	421 (90.3%)	8 (1.7%)	22 (4.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	61.6	250^th of 743 public high schools	66.4%		63.2	233^rd of 735 public high schools	68.3%	17			44.1	28.8					50.0		44.0	$14,508	$1,234	$13,274
Forest Area High School	Public	9-12	7661 Shippy Rd SW	Fife Lake	49633	Kalkaska County	Forest Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 369-2884	172	11	15.7	58.1%	161 (93.6%)	4 (2.3%)	4 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	48.3	354^th of 743 public high schools	52.4%		37.4	453^rd of 735 public high schools	38.4%	99			38.5	12.8					46.2		44.7	$15,077	$1,045	$14,032
Mancelona High School	Public	9-12	9300 W Limits St	Mancelona	49659	Antrim County	Mancelona Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 587-8551	252	16	15.9	71.0%	237 (94.0%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	64.1	224^th of 743 public high schools	69.9%		51.1	340^th of 735 public high schools	53.7%	116			51.1	27.7					44.9		46.9	$13,457	$1,541	$11,916
Elk Rapids High School	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	359	19	19.2	25.3%	332 (92.5%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	96.4	18^th of 743 public high schools	97.6%		97.2	14^th of 735 public high schools	98.1%	4			70.8	58.4					76.4		70.5	$00	$00	$00
Sunrise Academy	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	27	2	15.0	59.3%	24 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)								(n/a)												$00	$00	$00
Bellaire MiddleHigh School	Public	6-12	204 W Forrest Home Ave	Bellaire	49615	Antrim County	Bellaire Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 533-8015	144	12	12.3	42.4%	133 (92.4%)	1 (0.7%)	7 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	64.4	216^th of 743 public high schools	70.9%		85.1	85^th of 735 public high schools	88.4%	131	36.8	26.3	48.0		36.8	42.9	26.3	36.8	46.2	21.1	42.3	$21,659	$2,822	$18,837
Traverse City High School	Public	9-12	3962 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5860	149	9	15.8	74.5%	106 (71.1%)	3 (2.0%)	19 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	1 (0.7%)	14 (9.4%)	8.8	675^th of 743 public high schools	9.2%					(n/a)			22.5								11.1	$17,598	$1,311	$16,287
Shawono Center	Public	6-12	10 N Howes Lake Rd	Grayling	49738	Crawford County	Michigan Department of Human Services	No	No	No	No	(517) 335-3541	28	0		53.6%	13 (46.4%)	12 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.7%)								(n/a)
North EdCareer Technical	Public	11-12	880 Parsons Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 922-6260	1	36	.0		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Central High School	Public	8-12	1150 Milliken Dr	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6500	1,324	58	22.9	27.3%	1,177 (88.9%)	16 (1.2%)	45 (3.4%)	17 (1.3%)	20 (1.5%)	3 (0.2%)	46 (3.5%)	77.1	136^th of 743 public high schools	81.7%		81.7	111^th of 735 public high schools	84.9%	25			69.1	48.0					35.0		49.7	$12,922	$1,329	$11,593

Kalkaska High School

Kalkaska High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Kalkaska Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kalkaska High School

Rank History for all students at Kalkaska High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Kalkaska High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Kalkaska High School

Rank History for Male students at Kalkaska High School

Rank History for White students at Kalkaska High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Kalkaska High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kalkaska High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Kalkaska High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kalkaska High School

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