Is Western High School a good school?

Western High School ranks 247 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Western High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 846 students attended Western High School.

What is the racial makeup of Western High School?

Students at Western High School are 86% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Western High School?

Western High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bean Elementary School Elementary : Parma Elementary School Elementary : Warner Elementary School Middle : Western Middle School

Western High School

Summary:

Western High School is a public high school located in Parma, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 846 students. The school is part of the Western School District, which is ranked 118 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Western High School stands out for its strong academic performance, with students consistently outperforming the state and district averages in standardized test scores. In the 2023-2024 school year, 58.5% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to the district's 52.1% and the state's 51.3%. The school also maintains high four-year graduation rates, reaching 95.7% in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than nearby schools like Woodville Community Center (65.3%) and Northwest High School (90.1%).

While Western High School serves a predominantly white student population, with 86.29% of students identifying as white, the school's demographics and socioeconomic factors contribute to its success. The school has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 29.67% in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to surrounding schools like Woodville Community Center (65.73%) and Northwest High School (39.51%), which have higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students. This suggests that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in the academic outcomes of these schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1400 S Dearing Rd
Parma, MI 49269-9712

(517) 841-8270

District: Western School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
247^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Feeder schools for Western High School:

Elementary:	Bean Elementary School
	Parma Elementary School
	Warner Elementary School
Middle:	Western Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.6

Number of students: 846

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.3%

Two or more races:

5.6%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.7%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Western High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Western High School ranks better than 66.8% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.79. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Western High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (86.3%), two or more races (5.6%), Hispanic (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Western High School is 19.6. (See more...)

Compare Western High School employs 43.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Western High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Western High School 247^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Western 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:

Western School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Western School District 118^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Western High School?

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Rank History for Western High School

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Rank History for all students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	81.48	108^th	705	84.7%
2007	78.88	137^th	767	82.1%
2008	86.25	81^st	750	89.2%
2009	79.79	136^th	754	82.0%
2010	83.12	96^th	765	87.5%
2011	75.90	195^th	784	75.1%
2012	81.57	119^th	773	84.6%
2013	78.83	140^th	805	82.6%
2014	66.97	261^st	799	67.3%
2015	76.89	173^rd	832	79.2%
2016	60.69	315^th	852	63.0%
2017	67.95	220^th	835	73.7%
2018	75.75	176^th	824	78.6%
2019	70.40	180^th	666	73.0%
2021	59.80	180^th	561	67.9%
2022	60.05	223^rd	531	58.0%
2023	59.49	270^th	735	63.3%
2024	61.79	247^th	743	66.8%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	37.73	60^th	105	42.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	59.09	83^rd	315	73.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	76.20	126^th	755	83.3%
2019	58.44	197^th	532	63.0%
2021	57.22	161^st	417	61.4%
2022	45.58	227^th	369	38.5%
2023	43.69	347^th	614	43.5%
2024	38.92	388^th	654	40.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	71.04	183^rd	710	74.2%
2019	65.72	179^th	554	67.7%
2021	54.62	183^rd	462	60.4%
2022	38.27	303^rd	416	27.2%
2023	60.94	206^th	611	66.3%
2024	60.05	214^th	619	65.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	73.88	165^th	707	76.7%
2019	66.35	171^st	543	68.5%
2021	56.19	172^nd	472	63.6%
2022	71.00	126^th	440	71.4%
2023	49.83	293^rd	611	52.0%
2024	54.79	259^th	633	59.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	51.20	87^th	195	55.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Western High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	69.90	178^th	708	74.9%
2019	66.62	165^th	582	71.6%
2021	54.89	196^th	516	62.0%
2022	51.29	239^th	492	51.4%
2023	54.73	261^st	647	59.7%
2024	54.20	257^th	638	59.7%

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

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Enrollment information for Western High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	630	1	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	634
1989	588	4	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	598
1990	579	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	-12	571
1991	591	3	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	-4	601
1992	600	3	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	614
1993	667	4	4	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	688
1994	595	3	5	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	610
1995	615	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	622
1996	615	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	622
1997	740	9	4	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	762
1998	647	3	9	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	668
1999	658	8	8	14	21	n/a	n/a	0	709
2000	674	6	6	4	6	n/a	n/a	0	696
2001	707	3	7	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	732
2002	769	10	5	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	794
2003	769	10	5	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	794
2004	773	15	6	10	10	n/a	n/a	1	815
2005	769	13	11	11	7	n/a	n/a	5	816
2006	787	16	11	14	6	n/a	n/a	5	839
2007	815	16	12	21	5	n/a	n/a	4	873
2008	812	17	13	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	860
2009	795	20	10	18	7	n/a	n/a	0	850
2010	796	23	8	16	6	n/a	n/a	0	849
2011	795	14	10	17	1	0	22	0	859
2012	804	16	9	16	4	0	22	0	871
2013	812	18	11	21	2	0	23	0	887
2014	809	18	11	26	2	0	32	0	898
2015	798	20	11	29	2	0	31	0	891
2016	804	28	12	22	1	0	43	0	910
2017	793	15	10	29	1	1	41	0	890
2018	801	19	9	31	2	0	38	0	900
2019	801	25	9	32	3	0	41	0	911
2020	779	22	8	32	4	0	37	0	882
2021	762	18	10	37	2	0	43	0	872
2022	739	17	13	37	1	1	47	0	855
2023	730	12	16	37	3	1	47	0	846

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 Western High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	634	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	598	n/a	n/a	5
1990	571	37.0	15.4	4.6
1991	601	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	614	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	688	n/a	0.0	0
1994	610	32.7	18.7	6.7
1995	622	33.2	18.7	5.8
1996	622	33.2	18.7	5.8
1997	762	38.0	20.1	6.2
1998	668	35.0	19.1	11.7
1999	709	36.0	19.7	10
2000	696	36.0	19.3	20.1
2001	732	37.2	19.7	22.3
2002	794	40.9	19.4	34
2003	794	40.9	19.4	34
2004	815	41.2	19.8	22.4
2005	816	42.3	19.3	37.2
2006	839	40.5	20.7	24.8
2007	873	42.7	20.4	22.8
2008	860	42.0	20.5	20.9
2009	850	44.7	19.0	23.3
2010	849	40.1	21.1	26.5
2011	859	41.6	20.6	28.9
2012	871	43.5	20.0	32.7
2013	887	42.5	20.8	32.8
2014	898	43.3	20.7	34.5
2015	891	44.0	20.2	28.6
2016	910	42.0	21.6	28.7
2017	890	41.6	21.3	25.3
2018	900	42.5	21.1	26.8
2019	911	44.8	20.3	26.1
2020	882	45.1	19.5	25.1
2021	872	42.9	20.2	26.9
2022	855	44.2	19.3	28.4
2023	846	43.1	19.6	29.7

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 Western High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	634	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	598	n/a	n/a	5
1990	571	37.0	15.4	4.6
1991	601	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	614	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	688	n/a	0.0	0
1994	610	32.7	18.7	6.7
1995	622	33.2	18.7	5.8
1996	622	33.2	18.7	5.8
1997	762	38.0	20.1	6.2
1998	668	35.0	19.1	11.7
1999	709	36.0	19.7	10
2000	696	36.0	19.3	20.1
2001	732	37.2	19.7	22.3
2002	794	40.9	19.4	34
2003	794	40.9	19.4	34
2004	815	41.2	19.8	22.4
2005	816	42.3	19.3	37.2
2006	839	40.5	20.7	24.8
2007	873	42.7	20.4	22.8
2008	860	42.0	20.5	20.9
2009	850	44.7	19.0	23.3
2010	849	40.1	21.1	26.5
2011	859	41.6	20.6	28.9
2012	871	43.5	20.0	32.7
2013	887	42.5	20.8	32.8
2014	898	43.3	20.7	34.5
2015	891	44.0	20.2	28.6
2016	910	42.0	21.6	28.7
2017	890	41.6	21.3	25.3
2018	900	42.5	21.1	26.8
2019	911	44.8	20.3	26.1
2020	882	45.1	19.5	25.1
2021	872	42.9	20.2	26.9
2022	855	44.2	19.3	28.4
2023	846	43.1	19.6	29.7

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 Western High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$326 (3.2%)	$9,798 (96.8%)	$10,125
2020	$327 (3.0%)	$10,433 (97.0%)	$10,760
2021	$838 (7.8%)	$9,951 (92.2%)	$10,789
2022	$706 (5.9%)	$11,198 (94.1%)	$11,904
2023	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Western 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 180^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 270^th of 735 High schools	9.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Western High School)	62	45.8	16.2%
11th Grade Social Studies (Western School District)	57.9	43.4	14.5%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Western High School)	66.1	61.1	5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Western School District)	61.5	57.5	4%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Western High School)	33.9	34.7	0.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Western School District)	31.8	31.8
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	911	846	7.1%
African American	25	12	52%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	9	16	77.8%
Hispanic	32	37	15.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	801	730	8.9%
Two or More Races	41	47	14.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.1%	29.7%	3.5%

Schools Near Western 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 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 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
Western High School	Public	9-12	1400 S Dearing Rd	Parma	49269	Jackson County	Western School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-8270	846	43	19.6	29.7%	730 (86.3%)	12 (1.4%)	37 (4.4%)	16 (1.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (5.6%)	61.8	247^th of 743 public high schools	66.8%		59.5	270^th of 735 public high schools	63.3%	23			58.5	24.6				47.2		38.3	$00	$00	$00
Woodville Community Center	Public	9-12	3950 Catherine St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Western School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-8770	143	5	31.7	65.7%	120 (83.9%)	3 (2.1%)	6 (4.2%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.4%)								(n/a)										11.5	$00	$00	$00
Da Vinci Schools 612	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	2985 Springport Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Da Vinci Schools	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(517) 796-0031	383	20	19.0	85.6%	279 (72.8%)	50 (13.1%)	24 (6.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.6%)	31.5	499^th of 743 public high schools	32.8%		37.1	456^th of 735 public high schools	38.0%	43	44.1	8.8	31.1		10.3	32.0	23.5	28.9	14.7	31.1	$11,537	$2,019	$9,518
Jackson Pathways	Public	9-12	544 Wildwood Ave	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-3729	110	4	25.2	85.5%	37 (33.6%)	50 (45.5%)	7 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (14.5%)								(n/a)											$8,407	$1,299	$7,108
Jackson High School	Public	9-12	544 Wildwood Ave	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-3700	1,056	55	19.2	69.3%	445 (42.1%)	342 (32.4%)	100 (9.5%)	26 (2.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	139 (13.2%)	34.2	476^th of 743 public high schools	35.9%		28.2	531^st of 735 public high schools	27.8%	55			37.8	12.4				34.9		31.7	$16,519	$5,334	$11,184
Jackson County Jail	Public	9-12	212 W Wesley St	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2208	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Northwest High School	Public	9-12	4200 Van Horn Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Northwest Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 817-4702	972	52	18.6	39.5%	788 (81.1%)	36 (3.7%)	63 (6.5%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	76 (7.8%)	43.8	393^rd of 743 public high schools	47.1%		42.7	410^th of 735 public high schools	44.2%	17			45.1	16.2				41.0		32.7	$12,688	$899	$11,789
Concord High School	Public	9-12	219 Monroe St	Concord	49237	Jackson County	Concord Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 524-8384	215	15	14.2	55.3%	162 (75.3%)	23 (10.7%)	17 (7.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.6%)	23.8	570^th of 743 public high schools	23.3%		20.5	584^th of 735 public high schools	20.5%	14			29.8	10.6				29.8		25.5	$16,390	$1,005	$15,385
Northwest Connect	Public	7-12	6900 Rives Junction Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Northwest Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 817-4702	151	4	34.7	73.5%	110 (72.8%)	13 (8.6%)	11 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (10.6%)	11.6	657^th of 743 public high schools	11.6%		12.1	653^rd of 735 public high schools	11.2%	4			19.4					22.2		11.1	$12,827	$2,813	$10,014
SAI Camp Cassidy Lake	Public	12	3100 Cooper St	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(734) 475-1368	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Western High School

Western High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Western School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Western High School

Rank History for all students at Western High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Western High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Western High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Western High School

Rank History for Male students at Western High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Western High School

Rank History for White students at Western High School

Enrollment information for Western High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Western High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Western High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Western High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Western High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Western High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Western High School

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