Columbia Alternative Education

Summary:

Columbia Alternative Education is a public high school serving grades 6-12 in Clarklake, Michigan, with a relatively small student population of 88 students. However, the school has struggled with significant academic and operational challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Michigan high schools.

The key issues facing Columbia Alternative Education include low academic performance, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past two years, as well as very low graduation rates (46.1%) and high dropout rates (up to 17%). The school also experiences extremely high chronic absenteeism, reaching 75.2% in the 2020-2021 school year. Student test scores are also significantly lower than state and district averages, with only 14.29% of 11th graders proficient or better in Math and Social Studies. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (61.36%), indicating high poverty rates among the student population.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as East Jackson Secondary School, Michigan Center JrSr High School, and Columbia Central High School, Columbia Alternative Education stands out as an underperforming outlier, with significantly lower academic performance, graduation rates, and higher absenteeism and dropout rates. The data also reveals that the school's spending per student, at $9,011, is lower than some of the nearby schools, which may contribute to the challenges faced by the school.

Detail:

Public 6-12

4460 N Lake Rd
Clarklake, MI 49234-9694

(517) 529-9400

District: Columbia School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,011

Student/teacher ratio: 24.2

Number of students: 85

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.2%

Hispanic:

5.9%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.5%

See top rated Michigan public schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Alternative Education is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.96. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Columbia Alternative Education 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 (5.9%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Alternative Education is 24.2. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Alternative Education employs 3.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Alternative Education is $9,011.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Columbia Alternative Education was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Columbia School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia School District 120^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia Alternative Education

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Alternative Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2007	3.23	749^th	767	2.3%
2008	20.56	597^th	750	20.4%
2009	10.82	664^th	754	11.9%
2010	20.48	602^nd	765	21.3%
2015	5.65	832^nd	832	0.0%
2016	19.69	629^th	852	26.2%
2018	15.17	647^th	824	21.5%
2023	9.96	671^st	735	8.7%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Alternative Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	12.38	586^th	710	17.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Alternative Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	13.13	581^st	707	17.8%
2023	15.61	530^th	611	13.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Columbia Alternative Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.73	626^th	708	11.6%
2023	6.58	626^th	647	3.2%

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 Columbia Alternative Education

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2000	44	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	46
2001	62	0	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	63
2002	159	2	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	164
2003	159	2	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	164
2004	174	2	0	3	3	n/a	n/a	182
2005	83	0	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	88
2006	70	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	72
2007	76	0	0	1	5	n/a	n/a	82
2008	82	n/a	n/a	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	85
2009	76	2	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	79
2010	89	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	90
2011	79	1	0	2	0	0	1	83
2012	73	3	1	3	0	0	2	82
2013	74	3	0	1	0	0	0	78
2014	78	1	0	0	0	0	1	80
2015	77	0	0	1	0	0	2	80
2016	95	0	0	2	0	0	1	98
2017	99	1	0	1	0	0	0	101
2018	109	4	0	2	0	0	4	119
2019	93	4	0	4	1	0	5	107
2020	83	3	0	5	1	0	3	95
2021	70	0	0	5	0	0	2	77
2022	80	0	0	6	0	0	5	91
2023	78	1	0	5	0	0	4	88
2024	75	0	0	5	0	0	5	85

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 Columbia Alternative Education

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	46	4.5	10.2	0
2001	63	4.5	14.0	0
2002	164	2.0	82.0	n/a
2003	164	2.0	82.0	n/a
2004	182	3.0	60.7	n/a
2005	88	3.0	29.3	n/a
2006	72	3.0	24.0	0
2007	82	2.0	41.0	42.7
2008	85	4.2	20.2	38.8
2009	79	4.7	16.8	55.7
2010	90	4.6	19.3	66.7
2011	83	4.5	18.4	63.9
2012	82	4.5	18.1	72
2013	78	5.1	15.0	71.8
2014	80	3.8	20.8	65
2015	80	4.0	20.0	61.3
2016	98	3.0	32.6	50
2017	101	3.5	28.8	48.5
2018	119	4.0	29.7	53.8
2019	107	4.0	26.7	56.1
2020	95	4.1	22.8	62.1
2021	77	3.8	20.1	61
2022	91	2.6	34.2	62.6
2023	88	3.5	25.0	61.4
2024	85	3.5	24.2	63.5

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 Columbia Alternative Education

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	46	4.5	10.2	0
2001	63	4.5	14.0	0
2002	164	2.0	82.0	n/a
2003	164	2.0	82.0	n/a
2004	182	3.0	60.7	n/a
2005	88	3.0	29.3	n/a
2006	72	3.0	24.0	0
2007	82	2.0	41.0	42.7
2008	85	4.2	20.2	38.8
2009	79	4.7	16.8	55.7
2010	90	4.6	19.3	66.7
2011	83	4.5	18.4	63.9
2012	82	4.5	18.1	72
2013	78	5.1	15.0	71.8
2014	80	3.8	20.8	65
2015	80	4.0	20.0	61.3
2016	98	3.0	32.6	50
2017	101	3.5	28.8	48.5
2018	119	4.0	29.7	53.8
2019	107	4.0	26.7	56.1
2020	95	4.1	22.8	62.1
2021	77	3.8	20.1	61
2022	91	2.6	34.2	62.6
2023	88	3.5	25.0	61.4
2024	85	3.5	24.2	63.5

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 Columbia Alternative Education

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$418 (5.7%)	$6,860 (94.3%)	$7,278
2020	$345 (4.8%)	$6,878 (95.2%)	$7,224
2021	$485 (6.0%)	$7,540 (94.0%)	$8,025
2022	$542 (7.1%)	$7,106 (92.9%)	$7,647
2023	$666 (7.4%)	$8,344 (92.6%)	$9,011

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia Alternative Education

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	107	88	17.8%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	4	5	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	93	78	16.1%
Two or More Races	5	4	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.1%	61.4%	5.3%

Schools Near Columbia Alternative Education

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
Columbia Alternative Education	Public	6-12	4460 N Lake Rd	Clarklake	49234	Jackson County	Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 529-9400	85	4	24.2	63.5%	75 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.9%)								(n/a)													$9,011	$667	$8,345
Columbia Central High School	Public	7-12	11775 Hewitt Rd	Brooklyn	49230	Jackson County	Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 592-6634	624	31	19.8	35.3%	549 (88.0%)	4 (0.6%)	32 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.1%)	73.1	156^th of 743 public high schools	79.0%		64.2	220^th of 735 public high schools	70.1%	64	76.0	40.4	58.5	34.0		42.5		32.2	41.0	48.1	32.4	47.2	$12,793	$1,549	$11,244
Jackson Preparatory Early College	Public, Charter	6-12	2111 Emmons Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Preparatory & Early College	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 705-5732	277	13	21.3	33.6%	186 (67.1%)	36 (13.0%)	20 (7.2%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.8%)	79.4	123^rd of 743 public high schools	83.4%		53.2	321^st of 735 public high schools	56.3%	198	76.9	30.8	60.0		57.1	55.9	33.3	35.3	33.3	58.3	33.3	45.5	$10,564	$1,202	$9,362
Jackson Area Career Center	Public	9-12	6800 Browns Lake Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 768-5163	0	34	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Ackerson High School	Public	9-12	121 W Brooklyn Rd	Napoleon	49201	Jackson County	Napoleon Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 905-5718	83	3	26.7	73.5%	74 (89.2%)	2 (2.4%)	3 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)								(n/a)													$8,212	$1,207	$7,005
Napoleon High School	Public	9-12	201 West	Napoleon	49261	Jackson County	Napoleon Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 536-8667	355	15	23.2	35.8%	333 (93.8%)	2 (0.6%)	10 (2.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	54.1	307^th of 743 public high schools	58.7%		34.7	477^th of 735 public high schools	35.1%	170			46.5	16.9						46.5		43.7	$12,637	$1,346	$11,291
Vandercook Lake High School	Public	7-12	1000 E Golf Ave	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Vandercook Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 782-8167	294	18	16.3	80.3%	226 (76.9%)	13 (4.4%)	16 (5.4%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (12.2%)	20.6	598^th of 743 public high schools	19.5%		37.7	447^th of 735 public high schools	39.2%	151	46.0	20.0	27.0			28.2		12.8	18.0	27.0	20.0	18.9	$15,011	$1,072	$13,938
Michigan Center JrSr High School	Public	7-12	400 S State St	Michigan Center	49254	Jackson County	Michigan Center School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 764-1440	642	33	19.4	47.8%	553 (86.1%)	15 (2.3%)	22 (3.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.5%)	27.1	532^nd of 743 public high schools	28.4%		35.3	472^nd of 735 public high schools	35.8%	60	70.6	28.4	37.1	17.5		24.0		13.0	36.9	26.0	17.5	24.0	$13,698	$967	$12,730
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)
East Jackson Secondary School	Public	7-12	1566 N Sutton Rd	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	East Jackson Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 764-1700	373	17	21.4	74.8%	285 (76.4%)	27 (7.2%)	27 (7.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	30 (8.0%)	46.3	368^th of 743 public high schools	50.5%		27.1	540^th of 735 public high schools	26.5%	172	52.3	9.1	35.0			12.5		6.3	30.2	39.0	14.0	37.3	$16,610	$3,243	$13,368

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Alternative Education

What district is Columbia Alternative Education in?

Columbia School District

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Alternative Education?

Students at Columbia Alternative Education are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Columbia Alternative Education?

In the 2023-24 school year, 85 students attended Columbia Alternative Education.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.