Is Vandenboom Alternative High School a good school?

Vandenboom Alternative High School ranks 389 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Vandenboom Alternative High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 151 students attended Vandenboom Alternative High School.

What is the racial makeup of Vandenboom Alternative High School?

Students at Vandenboom Alternative High School are 81% White, 12% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% African American.

Vandenboom Alternative High School

Summary:

Vandenboom Alternative High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Marquette, Michigan, with a student population of 149. The school is part of the Marquette Area Public Schools district, which is ranked 102 out of 610 districts in the state.

Vandenboom Alternative High School faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools like Marquette Senior High School. The school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, with low academic performance, high dropout rates, and extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism. For example, in 2023-2024, only 40.5% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to 70.1% for the Marquette Area Public Schools district and 51.3% for the state of Michigan. The school's four-year graduation rate has also been low, ranging from 34.3% to 65.5% over the past 5 years, significantly lower than the 98.4% graduation rate at Marquette Senior High School.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 55.47% to 65.77% over the past 3 years, suggests that Vandenboom Alternative High School may be struggling to support its more disadvantaged student population. The relatively high per-student spending at the school ($13,424 in 2022-2023) compared to Marquette Senior High School ($13,536) raises questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for a more targeted approach to address the school's challenges. Addressing these issues will likely require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that focuses on targeted interventions, resource allocation, and collaboration with the broader community.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1175 Erie Ave
Marquette, MI 49855-1399

(906) 225-4321

District: Marquette Area Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
389^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,424

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 151

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.8%

Two or more races:

11.9%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.9%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Vandenboom Alternative High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Vandenboom Alternative High School ranks worse than 52.4% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.96. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Vandenboom Alternative 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 (80.8%), two or more races (11.9%), American Indian (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Vandenboom Alternative High School is 16.8. (See more...)

Compare Vandenboom Alternative High School employs 8.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Vandenboom Alternative High School is $13,424.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vandenboom Alternative High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Vandenboom Alternative High School 389^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Vandenboom Alternative High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Marquette Area Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Marquette Area Public Schools 102^nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Vandenboom Alternative High School.

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Rank History for Vandenboom Alternative High School

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Rank History for all students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2007	5.07	723^rd	767	5.7%
2008	19.91	601^st	750	19.9%
2009	17.39	617^th	754	18.2%
2010	8.81	690^th	765	9.8%
2011	14.33	659^th	784	15.9%
2012	22.51	580^th	773	25.0%
2013	15.69	647^th	805	19.6%
2014	24.82	582^nd	799	27.2%
2015	13.30	724^th	832	13.0%
2016	18.55	638^th	852	25.1%
2017	16.20	608^th	835	27.2%
2018	13.07	668^th	824	18.9%
2019	31.47	464^th	666	30.3%
2021	7.36	538^th	561	4.1%
2023	25.21	548^th	735	25.4%
2024	43.96	389^th	743	47.6%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.33	246^th	315	21.9%
2024	78.40	17^th	130	86.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.57	687^th	755	9.0%
2023	46.35	327^th	614	46.7%
2024	41.46	363^rd	654	44.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.65	622^nd	710	12.4%
2023	29.99	431^st	611	29.5%
2024	26.58	458^th	619	26.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	51.15	278^th	633	56.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	10.93	611^th	708	13.7%
2019	18.21	493^rd	582	15.3%
2021	4.06	510^th	516	1.2%
2023	17.57	555^th	647	14.2%
2024	26.24	478^th	638	25.1%

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
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

This has got to be one of the best schools in our area; the teachers are wonderful and caring, and the students benefit from these teachers' outstanding performance. The curriculum which is offered there is on a level consistent with future success in college and/or other technical training.

I've had two of my children graduate from there, and three more will be. I have such a high regard for this school, that my husband, myself, and one other college student are volunteer "teachers" there now, teaching the local Native American language.

Again, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Vandenboom Alternative High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	51	2	0	0	8	n/a	n/a	61
2007	56	4	0	0	4	n/a	n/a	64
2008	58	3	n/a	n/a	4	n/a	n/a	65
2009	54	2	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	64
2010	53	2	0	1	9	n/a	n/a	65
2011	94	6	0	1	14	0	9	124
2012	79	8	0	2	13	0	8	110
2013	92	9	1	3	14	0	3	122
2014	90	7	1	3	14	0	3	118
2015	104	5	0	1	11	0	2	123
2016	96	3	0	2	17	1	6	125
2017	85	2	0	2	11	0	3	103
2018	85	0	1	2	12	0	8	108
2019	93	0	1	4	16	0	16	130
2020	107	0	0	3	11	0	14	135
2021	102	1	0	4	8	0	13	128
2022	132	2	0	5	9	0	13	161
2023	119	2	0	6	5	0	17	149
2024	122	3	0	4	4	0	18	151

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 Vandenboom Alternative High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	61	4.7	13.0	41
2007	64	4.4	14.5	64.1
2008	65	4.2	15.5	41.5
2009	64	4.2	15.2	60.9
2010	65	4.5	14.4	56.9
2011	124	7.6	16.3	59.7
2012	110	6.7	16.3	68.2
2013	122	7.1	17.1	45.9
2014	118	7.5	15.7	49.2
2015	123	7.0	17.5	49.6
2016	125	8.0	15.6	40.8
2017	103	8.1	12.6	44.7
2018	108	8.1	13.2	57.4
2019	130	8.1	15.8	65.4
2020	135	8.2	16.4	64.4
2021	128	8.0	15.9	55.5
2022	161	8.0	20.0	59
2023	149	8.0	18.6	65.8
2024	151	8.9	16.8	68.9

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 Vandenboom Alternative High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	61	4.7	13.0	41
2007	64	4.4	14.5	64.1
2008	65	4.2	15.5	41.5
2009	64	4.2	15.2	60.9
2010	65	4.5	14.4	56.9
2011	124	7.6	16.3	59.7
2012	110	6.7	16.3	68.2
2013	122	7.1	17.1	45.9
2014	118	7.5	15.7	49.2
2015	123	7.0	17.5	49.6
2016	125	8.0	15.6	40.8
2017	103	8.1	12.6	44.7
2018	108	8.1	13.2	57.4
2019	130	8.1	15.8	65.4
2020	135	8.2	16.4	64.4
2021	128	8.0	15.9	55.5
2022	161	8.0	20.0	59
2023	149	8.0	18.6	65.8
2024	151	8.9	16.8	68.9

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 Vandenboom Alternative High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$312 (2.7%)	$11,099 (97.3%)	$11,411
2020	$400 (3.4%)	$11,208 (96.5%)	$11,609
2021	$746 (6.0%)	$11,737 (94.0%)	$12,483
2022	$550 (4.9%)	$10,674 (95.1%)	$11,223
2023	$5,062 (37.7%)	$8,362 (62.3%)	$13,424

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Vandenboom Alternative 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 464^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 548^th of 735 High schools	4.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Vandenboom Alternative High School)	31.8	16.7	15.1%
11th Grade Social Studies (Marquette Area Public Schools)	58	49.8	8.2%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Vandenboom Alternative High School)	45.8	36.7	9.1%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Marquette Area Public Schools)	67.5	64.9	2.6%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	130	149	14.6%
African American	0	2
American Indian	16	5	68.8%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	4	6	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	93	119	28%
Two or More Races	16	17	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	65.4%	65.8%	0.4%

Schools Near Vandenboom Alternative 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
Vandenboom Alternative High School	Public	9-12	1175 Erie Ave	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Marquette Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 225-4321	151	9	16.8	68.9%	122 (80.8%)	3 (2.0%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (11.9%)	44	389^th of 743 public high schools	47.6%		25.2	548^th of 735 public high schools	25.4%	159			40.5							40.0		28.6	$13,424	$5,062	$8,362
Marquette Senior High School	Public	7-12	1203 W Fair Ave	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Marquette Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 225-4254	953	54	17.5	21.1%	837 (87.8%)	4 (0.4%)	16 (1.7%)	8 (0.8%)	20 (2.1%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (6.8%)	95.1	30^th of 743 public high schools	96.0%		81.9	107^th of 735 public high schools	85.4%	77			74.7	47.3						76.8		68.8	$13,536	$1,313	$12,223
Marquette Branch Prison	Public	9-12	1960 Us Highway 41 S	Marquette	49855	Marquette County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(906) 226-6531	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Negaunee High School	Public	9-12	500 W Arch St	Negaunee	49866	Marquette County	Negaunee Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 475-7861	450	27	16.7	34.0%	409 (90.9%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.8%)	77	138^th of 743 public high schools	81.4%		79.9	120^th of 735 public high schools	83.7%	18			62.1	31.0						50.9		55.2	$14,794	$1,010	$13,784
Ishpeming High School	Public	9-12	319 E Division St	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	Ishpeming Public School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(906) 485-1066	211	13	16.0	62.1%	181 (85.8%)	4 (1.9%)	8 (3.8%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.6%)	75.5	144^th of 743 public high schools	80.6%		63.7	225^th of 735 public high schools	69.4%	81			58.5							45.0		50.0	$16,620	$2,379	$14,241
IshpemingNegauneeNICE Community Educational Division	Public	7-12	325 S Pine St	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	Ishpeming Public School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(906) 475-4173	19	3	6.9	89.5%	17 (89.5%)	1 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)								(n/a)													$22,189	$481	$21,707
Westwood High School	Public	8-12	300 S Westwood Dr	Ishpeming	49849	Marquette County	NICE Community School District	No	No	No	No	(906) 485-1023	403	24	16.9	32.3%	374 (92.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.5%)	39.6	423^rd of 743 public high schools	43.1%		56.2	298^th of 735 public high schools	59.5%	125			42.5	15.1						36.8		33.0	$15,126	$631	$14,496
Gwinn MiddleHigh School	Public	6-12	50 West State Highway M35	Gwinn	49841	Marquette County	Gwinn Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(906) 346-9247	505	29	17.3	57.6%	408 (80.8%)	8 (1.6%)	28 (5.5%)	3 (0.6%)	11 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.3%)	40.3	419^th of 743 public high schools	43.6%		30.6	511^th of 735 public high schools	30.5%	92	48.1	15.6	55.2	29.3	20.0	20.3	8.8	10.3	29.5	16.9	10.3	25.4	$15,006	$1,689	$13,317

Vandenboom Alternative High School

Vandenboom Alternative High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Marquette Area Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for all students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for Female students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for Male students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rank History for White students at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Vandenboom Alternative High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Vandenboom Alternative High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Vandenboom Alternative High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Vandenboom Alternative High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Vandenboom Alternative High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Vandenboom Alternative High School