Is Plainwell High School a good school?

Plainwell High School ranks 161 st of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Plainwell High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 815 students attended Plainwell High School.

What is the racial makeup of Plainwell High School?

Students at Plainwell High School are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Plainwell High School

Summary:

Plainwell High School is a public high school serving 815 students in grades 9-12 in Plainwell, Michigan, which is part of the Plainwell Community Schools district. The school consistently ranks among the top high schools in Michigan, with strong academic performance, high graduation rates, and relatively low dropout rates compared to the state and district averages.

Plainwell High School's academic performance is a standout, with the school ranking 161 out of 743 schools in Michigan for the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in subjects like M-Step Science, M-Step Social Studies, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and SAT Mathematics are higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, Plainwell High School has maintained a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 94.6% over the past five years, and a relatively low dropout rate of 1.0% to 6.2% during the same period, which is lower than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Renaissance High School, also in the Plainwell Community Schools district, Plainwell High School stands out with its significantly higher academic performance, graduation rates, and lower dropout rates. This suggests that Plainwell High School is providing a higher quality of education and support for its students. However, the school's racial composition is predominantly White, with a relatively low percentage of minority students compared to the state and district averages, which may be an area for the school to address.

Detail:

Public, Virtual 9-12

684 102nd Ave
Plainwell, MI 49080-1692

(269) 685-9554

District: Plainwell Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
161^st of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,277

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 815

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.2%

Hispanic:

6.3%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.3%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Plainwell High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Plainwell High School ranks better than 78.3% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.87. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Plainwell 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 (88.2%), Hispanic (6.3%), two or more races (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plainwell High School is 19.3. (See more...)

Compare Plainwell High School employs 42.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plainwell High School is $13,277.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Plainwell High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Plainwell High School 161^st of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Plainwell High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Plainwell Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Plainwell Community Schools 241^st of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Plainwell High School.

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Rank History for Plainwell High School

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Rank History for all students at Plainwell High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	85.21	73^rd	705	89.6%
2007	83.55	94^th	767	87.7%
2008	70.77	270^th	750	64.0%
2009	79.41	141^st	754	81.3%
2010	74.64	211^th	765	72.4%
2011	81.99	107^th	784	86.4%
2012	85.59	92^nd	773	88.1%
2013	86.12	91^st	805	88.7%
2014	73.82	176^th	799	78.0%
2015	85.95	90^th	832	89.2%
2016	83.82	105^th	852	87.7%
2017	78.13	143^rd	835	82.9%
2018	82.54	120^th	824	85.4%
2019	83.06	98^th	666	85.3%
2021	59.68	182^nd	561	67.6%
2022	78.17	110^th	531	79.3%
2023	82.91	97^th	735	86.8%
2024	72.87	161^st	743	78.3%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	71.31	169^th	755	77.6%
2019	87.93	43^rd	532	91.9%
2021	53.20	185^th	417	55.6%
2022	68.67	111^th	369	69.9%
2023	62.94	191^st	614	68.9%
2024	67.35	163^rd	654	75.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Plainwell High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	78.60	125^th	710	82.4%
2019	84.08	72^nd	554	87.0%
2021	54.37	184^th	462	60.2%
2022	74.62	111^th	416	73.3%
2023	70.17	146^th	611	76.1%
2024	69.91	143^rd	619	76.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Plainwell High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	80.03	110^th	707	84.4%
2019	74.62	126^th	543	76.8%
2021	52.27	191^st	472	59.5%
2022	74.03	107^th	440	75.7%
2023	88.76	53^rd	611	91.3%
2024	67.23	172^nd	633	72.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Plainwell High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	83.38	27^th	201	86.6%
2024	85.73	21^st	195	89.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Plainwell High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	77.16	138^th	708	80.5%
2019	76.97	112^th	582	80.8%
2021	53.92	204^th	516	60.5%
2022	69.90	143^rd	492	70.9%
2023	77.62	116^th	647	82.1%
2024	63.44	194^th	638	69.6%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Almost zero diversity and a culture of bullying. Lots of hateful, racist, homophobic kids and parents. Some administration appear to be part of the problem and many on school board. Don't send your children here, there are better schools. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Plainwell High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	814	7	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	836
1989	779	5	1	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	795
1990	723	4	1	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	735
1991	715	6	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	724
1992	727	4	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	735
1993	726	5	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	734
1995	754	4	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	771
1996	754	4	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	771
1997	773	8	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	798
1998	787	7	9	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	815
1999	806	7	12	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	836
2000	808	6	10	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	832
2001	808	3	9	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	830
2002	846	3	13	2	2	n/a	n/a	3	869
2003	846	3	13	2	2	n/a	n/a	3	869
2004	813	4	12	5	1	n/a	n/a	3	838
2005	862	6	12	8	1	n/a	n/a	2	891
2006	872	11	10	17	5	n/a	n/a	4	919
2007	863	13	12	15	3	n/a	n/a	3	909
2008	899	13	9	15	4	n/a	n/a	3	943
2009	863	11	6	13	3	n/a	n/a	2	898
2010	835	11	13	13	2	n/a	n/a	2	876
2011	810	9	7	14	1	1	9	0	851
2012	792	12	8	18	0	1	13	0	844
2013	806	9	7	18	1	1	17	0	859
2014	758	13	4	26	1	4	17	0	823
2015	769	18	5	28	5	3	0	0	828
2016	746	15	4	29	0	3	2	0	799
2017	740	14	11	34	0	3	5	0	807
2018	772	14	10	43	0	1	5	0	845
2019	749	11	12	47	3	2	6	0	830
2020	727	14	18	43	3	1	10	0	816
2021	733	20	18	53	1	0	9	0	834
2022	698	4	16	36	0	1	11	0	766
2023	719	5	17	51	1	1	21	0	815

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 Plainwell High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	836	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	795	n/a	n/a	2.1
1990	735	40.0	18.3	3.9
1991	724	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	735	n/a	n/a	9.5
1993	734	n/a	0.0	10.5
1995	771	40.5	19.0	3.6
1996	771	40.5	19.0	3.6
1997	798	43.0	18.6	4.8
1998	815	43.0	19.0	4.7
1999	836	46.0	18.2	5.6
2000	832	43.0	19.3	9.3
2001	830	43.2	19.2	8.1
2002	869	41.3	21.0	12.7
2003	869	41.3	21.0	12.7
2004	838	45.0	18.6	14
2005	891	46.2	19.3	14.6
2006	919	45.4	20.2	18.5
2007	909	44.5	20.4	13.2
2008	943	42.4	22.2	22.1
2009	898	40.1	22.4	23.3
2010	876	41.9	20.9	21.9
2011	851	41.6	20.4	23.6
2012	844	41.4	20.3	28.4
2013	859	40.5	21.2	32.2
2014	823	29.8	27.5	28.9
2015	828	38.0	21.7	22.6
2016	799	38.0	21.0	25.7
2017	807	40.4	19.9	24.7
2018	845	41.7	20.2	27.8
2019	830	41.0	20.1	21.1
2020	816	40.0	20.3	31.4
2021	834	37.4	22.2	31.2
2022	766	36.3	21.0	29.2
2023	815	42.2	19.3	32.3

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 Plainwell High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	836	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	795	n/a	n/a	2.1
1990	735	40.0	18.3	3.9
1991	724	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	735	n/a	n/a	9.5
1993	734	n/a	0.0	10.5
1995	771	40.5	19.0	3.6
1996	771	40.5	19.0	3.6
1997	798	43.0	18.6	4.8
1998	815	43.0	19.0	4.7
1999	836	46.0	18.2	5.6
2000	832	43.0	19.3	9.3
2001	830	43.2	19.2	8.1
2002	869	41.3	21.0	12.7
2003	869	41.3	21.0	12.7
2004	838	45.0	18.6	14
2005	891	46.2	19.3	14.6
2006	919	45.4	20.2	18.5
2007	909	44.5	20.4	13.2
2008	943	42.4	22.2	22.1
2009	898	40.1	22.4	23.3
2010	876	41.9	20.9	21.9
2011	851	41.6	20.4	23.6
2012	844	41.4	20.3	28.4
2013	859	40.5	21.2	32.2
2014	823	29.8	27.5	28.9
2015	828	38.0	21.7	22.6
2016	799	38.0	21.0	25.7
2017	807	40.4	19.9	24.7
2018	845	41.7	20.2	27.8
2019	830	41.0	20.1	21.1
2020	816	40.0	20.3	31.4
2021	834	37.4	22.2	31.2
2022	766	36.3	21.0	29.2
2023	815	42.2	19.3	32.3

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 Plainwell High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$252 (2.5%)	$9,724 (97.5%)	$9,976
2020	$305 (3.1%)	$9,621 (96.9%)	$9,926
2021	$585 (5.7%)	$9,698 (94.3%)	$10,283
2022	$791 (6.8%)	$10,769 (93.1%)	$11,561
2023	$1,037 (7.8%)	$12,239 (92.2%)	$13,277

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Plainwell 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 98^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 97^th of 735 High schools	1.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Plainwell High School)	63.8	45.2	18.6%
11th Grade Social Studies (Plainwell Community Schools)	60.1	41.8	18.3%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Plainwell High School)	69.1	65.1	4%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Plainwell Community Schools)	64.7	61.1	3.6%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Plainwell High School)	47.9	41	6.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Plainwell Community Schools)	43.3	37.8	5.5%
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	830	815	1.8%
African American	11	5	54.5%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	12	17	41.7%
Hispanic	47	51	8.5%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	749	719	4%
Two or More Races	6	21	250%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.1%	32.3%	11.2%

Schools Near Plainwell 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 Math 7th 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
Plainwell High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	684 102nd Ave	Plainwell	49080	Allegan County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(269) 685-9554	815	42	19.3	32.3%	719 (88.2%)	5 (0.6%)	51 (6.3%)	17 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.6%)	72.9	161^st of 743 public high schools	78.3%		82.9	97^th of 735 public high schools	86.8%	64			56.3	34.9						51.3		45.0	$13,277	$1,037	$12,239
Renaissance High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	798 E Bridge St	Plainwell	49080	Allegan County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(269) 685-8911	84	3	28.9	72.6%	71 (84.5%)	2 (2.4%)	8 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)												15.0	$9,850	$1,968	$7,882
Otsego High School	Public	9-12	550 Washington St	Otsego	49078	Allegan County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 694-7403	751	34	22.2	33.3%	683 (90.9%)	8 (1.1%)	30 (4.0%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.5%)	66.1	205^th of 743 public high schools	72.4%		67.3	201^st of 735 public high schools	72.7%	4			57.6	30.6						46.7		40.1	$14,330	$1,884	$12,446
Otsego West Campus High School	Public	6-12	570 Washington St	Otsego	49078	Allegan County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 694-7403	27	1	27.0	77.8%	26 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$9,474	$174	$9,300
Martin High School	Public	6-12	1556 Chalmers	Martin	49070	Allegan County	Martin Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 442-0400	332	21	15.7	52.7%	277 (83.4%)	5 (1.5%)	40 (12.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	42.7	404^th of 743 public high schools	45.6%		58.1	283^rd of 735 public high schools	61.5%	121	76.1	23.9	40.0	12.0	19.6	32.6	15.7	27.9	60.9	34.0	37.0	46.0	$12,910	$1,194	$11,716
Kalamazoo Central High School	Public	9-12	2432 N Drake Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0300	1,612	72	22.3	63.6%	539 (33.4%)	693 (43.0%)	164 (10.2%)	25 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	190 (11.8%)	63.1	232^nd of 743 public high schools	68.8%		43.2	404^th of 735 public high schools	45.0%	172			55.8	20.8						44.7		50.0	$15,499	$2,364	$13,135
Parchment High School	Public	8-12	1916 E G Ave	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 488-1100	434	25	17.5	47.9%	316 (72.8%)	37 (8.5%)	28 (6.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.3%)	43.9	391^st of 743 public high schools	47.4%		49.8	348^th of 735 public high schools	52.7%	43			53.8	15.1						35.8		31.1	$17,952	$1,291	$16,661
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency West CampusYoung Adult Program	Public	6-12	4606 Croyden Ave	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(269) 250-9602	111	14	8.1	38.7%	76 (68.5%)	11 (9.9%)	12 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (9.9%)								(n/a)
Boys To Men Group Home	Public	6-12	6025 Litchfield Ln	Kalamazoo	49009	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 254-8444	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Parchment Innovation Center	Public	6-12	1125 E Mosel Ave	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 488-1470	99	3	30.9	81.8%	53 (53.5%)	12 (12.1%)	9 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (24.2%)	29	513^th of 743 public high schools	31.0%					(n/a)			35.3							26.7		26.7	$13,615	$984	$12,631

Plainwell High School

Plainwell High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Plainwell Community Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Plainwell High School

Rank History for all students at Plainwell High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Plainwell High School

Rank History for Male students at Plainwell High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Plainwell High School

Rank History for White students at Plainwell High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Plainwell High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Plainwell High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Plainwell High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Plainwell High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Plainwell High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Plainwell High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Plainwell High School

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