Summary:
The zip code 49234 contains a single public high school, Columbia Alternative Education, which serves grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 88 students. The school's student population is predominantly White (88.64%), with smaller percentages of Hispanic, African American, and multiracial students. However, the school faces significant challenges, including low academic performance, high dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism.
Columbia Alternative Education's academic performance is well below state and district averages, with only 14.29% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science and M-Step/Social Studies, compared to 32.8%/38.5% for the district and 39%/36.1% for the state. The school also has a concerning 46.1% four-year graduation rate and an 11.5% dropout rate, both of which are significantly worse than typical high school performance. Additionally, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 33.6%, indicating that a significant portion of students are missing a substantial amount of instructional time.
The data suggests that Columbia Alternative Education may be serving a community with significant socioeconomic challenges, as 61.36% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's per-student spending of $9,011 is also lower than the state average, and its student-teacher ratio of 25:1 is higher than the recommended ratio for effective instruction. These factors, combined with the school's low academic achievement and high absenteeism, indicate that Columbia Alternative Education may need additional support and interventions to improve student outcomes and provide a quality education for the community it serves.
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