Is Forest Area High School a good school?

Forest Area High School ranks 354 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Forest Area High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 172 students attended Forest Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Area High School?

Students at Forest Area High School are 94% White, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Forest Area High School?

Forest Area High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Fife Lake Elementary School Middle : Forest Area Middle School

Forest Area High School

Summary:

Forest Area High School is a public high school located in Fife Lake, Michigan, serving 158 students in grades 9-12 and part of the Forest Area Community Schools district, which is ranked 465 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Forest Area High School faces significant challenges, with declining performance across key metrics. The school has a predominantly white student population (91.77%), which contrasts with the more diverse nearby schools like Lake City High School and The Greenspire School. Forest Area High School's four-year graduation rates have dropped from 82.2% in 2019-2020 to 70.2% in 2022-2023, and its dropout rates range from 6.6% to 16.6% over the past five years, which are higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 30.2% in 2019-2020 to 47.3% in 2022-2023, much higher than the nearby schools.

Academically, Forest Area High School's test scores, particularly in mathematics, are significantly lower than the state and nearby school averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 12.8% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 26.3%. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 55.06% to 70.37% over the past three years, suggesting significant socioeconomic challenges that may be contributing to the school's performance issues. Overall, Forest Area High School's declining performance, high dropout rates, and low test scores indicate the need for targeted interventions and support to improve outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

7661 Shippy Rd SW
Fife Lake, MI 49633-8243

(231) 369-2884

District: Forest Area Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
354^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,077

Feeder schools for Forest Area High School:

Elementary:	Fife Lake Elementary School
Middle:	Forest Area Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 172

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.6%

African American:

2.3%

Hispanic:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.1%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Forest Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Forest Area High School ranks better than 52.4% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.31. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Forest Area 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 (93.6%), African American (2.3%), Hispanic (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Forest Area High School is 15.7. (See more...)

Compare Forest Area High School employs 10.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Forest Area High School is $15,077.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Forest Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest Area High School 354^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Forest Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Forest Area Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest Area Community Schools 465^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Forest Area High School?

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Rank History for Forest Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Forest Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	31.00	547^th	705	22.4%
2007	49.95	465^th	767	39.4%
2008	54.72	427^th	750	43.1%
2009	50.03	461^st	754	38.9%
2010	62.02	383^rd	765	49.9%
2011	51.53	482^nd	784	38.5%
2012	32.71	544^th	773	29.6%
2013	69.95	236^th	805	70.7%
2014	49.88	439^th	799	45.1%
2015	50.23	437^th	832	47.5%
2016	61.87	305^th	852	64.2%
2017	30.33	522^nd	835	37.5%
2018	42.09	481^st	824	41.6%
2019	15.26	564^th	666	15.3%
2022	58.07	237^th	531	55.4%
2023	37.42	453^rd	735	38.4%
2024	48.31	354^th	743	52.4%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forest Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	56.42	290^th	755	61.6%
2022	81.21	61^st	369	83.5%
2023	45.02	337^th	614	45.1%
2024	78.72	89^th	654	86.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Forest Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	34.29	469^th	710	33.9%
2019	9.75	502^nd	554	9.4%
2022	48.38	239^th	416	42.5%
2023	32.86	409^th	611	33.1%
2024	63.41	188^th	619	69.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Forest Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	40.19	426^th	707	39.7%
2019	17.98	468^th	543	13.8%
2023	33.26	415^th	611	32.1%
2024	46.25	319^th	633	49.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Forest Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	28.80	513^th	708	27.5%
2019	9.14	539^th	582	7.4%
2022	47.69	259^th	492	47.4%
2023	23.25	514^th	647	20.6%
2024	35.55	410^th	638	35.7%

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 Forest Area High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	323	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	-2	324
1989	375	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	-1	376
1990	386	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	-2	386
1991	368	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	369
1992	385	0	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	390
1993	358	1	0	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	364
1994	210	0	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	214
1995	229	0	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	232
1996	229	0	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	232
1997	230	0	3	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	236
1998	240	0	3	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	249
1999	227	1	2	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	236
2000	237	1	3	0	11	n/a	n/a	0	252
2001	245	1	1	0	11	n/a	n/a	0	258
2002	264	0	2	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	274
2003	264	0	2	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	274
2004	203	0	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	207
2005	254	1	2	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	265
2006	260	2	1	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	273
2007	281	1	0	1	10	n/a	n/a	0	293
2008	286	2	n/a	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	294
2009	255	3	0	3	8	n/a	n/a	0	269
2010	233	3	2	4	16	n/a	n/a	1	259
2011	222	3	1	5	15	0	2	0	248
2012	191	2	1	2	10	0	2	0	208
2013	186	3	2	2	9	0	1	0	203
2014	156	2	3	0	4	0	1	0	166
2015	165	0	1	2	4	0	0	0	172
2016	150	2	0	4	5	0	1	0	162
2017	155	1	1	3	2	1	3	0	166
2018	172	1	2	6	0	0	4	0	185
2019	165	1	1	5	1	0	4	0	177
2020	151	1	1	5	1	0	4	0	163
2021	167	3	0	4	1	0	2	0	177
2022	150	3	1	4	2	0	2	0	162
2023	145	3	1	5	1	0	3	0	158
2024	161	4	0	4	1	0	2	0	172

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 Forest Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	324	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	376	n/a	n/a	29.8
1990	386	25.0	15.4	23.3
1991	369	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	390	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	364	n/a	0.0	22.5
1994	214	9.9	21.6	57.5
1995	232	11.7	19.8	63.4
1996	232	11.7	19.8	63.4
1997	236	12.0	19.7	53
1998	249	13.0	19.2	51
1999	236	14.0	16.9	44.1
2000	252	11.0	22.9	80.6
2001	258	13.3	19.4	88
2002	274	15.5	17.7	92
2003	274	15.5	17.7	92
2004	207	18.5	11.2	98.6
2005	265	14.5	18.3	98.9
2006	273	15.5	17.6	98.9
2007	293	16.5	17.8	51.5
2008	294	15.5	19.0	58.2
2009	269	13.5	19.9	56.1
2010	259	13.5	19.1	64
2011	248	13.5	18.3	62.5
2012	208	12.2	16.9	65.4
2013	203	10.5	19.1	71.9
2014	166	10.0	16.5	62.7
2015	172	9.0	19.1	57.6
2016	162	8.0	20.2	63
2017	166	7.8	21.2	50
2018	185	7.9	23.2	70.3
2019	177	6.8	25.8	69.5
2020	163	8.3	19.4	63.2
2021	177	9.2	19.0	70.1
2022	162	10.9	14.8	70.4
2023	158	10.9	14.3	55.1
2024	172	10.9	15.7	58.1

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 Forest Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	324	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	376	n/a	n/a	29.8
1990	386	25.0	15.4	23.3
1991	369	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	390	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	364	n/a	0.0	22.5
1994	214	9.9	21.6	57.5
1995	232	11.7	19.8	63.4
1996	232	11.7	19.8	63.4
1997	236	12.0	19.7	53
1998	249	13.0	19.2	51
1999	236	14.0	16.9	44.1
2000	252	11.0	22.9	80.6
2001	258	13.3	19.4	88
2002	274	15.5	17.7	92
2003	274	15.5	17.7	92
2004	207	18.5	11.2	98.6
2005	265	14.5	18.3	98.9
2006	273	15.5	17.6	98.9
2007	293	16.5	17.8	51.5
2008	294	15.5	19.0	58.2
2009	269	13.5	19.9	56.1
2010	259	13.5	19.1	64
2011	248	13.5	18.3	62.5
2012	208	12.2	16.9	65.4
2013	203	10.5	19.1	71.9
2014	166	10.0	16.5	62.7
2015	172	9.0	19.1	57.6
2016	162	8.0	20.2	63
2017	166	7.8	21.2	50
2018	185	7.9	23.2	70.3
2019	177	6.8	25.8	69.5
2020	163	8.3	19.4	63.2
2021	177	9.2	19.0	70.1
2022	162	10.9	14.8	70.4
2023	158	10.9	14.3	55.1
2024	172	10.9	15.7	58.1

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 Forest Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$705 (5.9%)	$11,187 (94.1%)	$11,892
2020	$793 (5.0%)	$14,974 (95.0%)	$15,768
2021	$1,793 (16.2%)	$9,250 (83.8%)	$11,044
2022	$1,958 (15.7%)	$10,546 (84.3%)	$12,505
2023	$1,044 (6.9%)	$14,032 (93.1%)	$15,076

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest Area 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 564^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 453^rd of 735 High schools	23.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Forest Area High School)	23.8	21.6	2.2%
11th Grade Social Studies (Forest Area Community Schools)	23.8	21.6	2.2%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Forest Area High School)	38.1	44	5.9%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Forest Area Community Schools)	38.1	44	5.9%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Forest Area High School)	14.3	18	3.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Forest Area Community Schools)	14.3	18	3.7%
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	177	158	10.7%
African American	1	3	200%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	5	5
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	165	145	12.1%
Two or More Races	4	3	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69.5%	55.1%	14.4%

Schools Near Forest Area 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 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
Forest Area High School	Public	9-12	7661 Shippy Rd SW	Fife Lake	49633	Kalkaska County	Forest Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 369-2884	172	11	15.7	58.1%	161 (93.6%)	4 (2.3%)	4 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	48.3	354^th of 743 public high schools	52.4%		37.4	453^rd of 735 public high schools	38.4%	99			38.5	12.8					46.2		44.7	$15,077	$1,045	$14,032
Kingsley Area High School	Public	9-12	7475 Kingsley Rd	Kingsley	49649	Grand Traverse County	Kingsley Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 263-5262	407	26	15.6	38.8%	381 (93.6%)	5 (1.2%)	10 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	66.4	201^st of 743 public high schools	72.9%		82.5	100^th of 735 public high schools	86.4%	101			56.4	21.8					47.1		52.9	$12,609	$1,054	$11,555
Kalkaska High School	Public	9-12	109 N Birch St	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 258-9167	466	24	19.4	52.1%	421 (90.3%)	8 (1.7%)	22 (4.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	61.6	250^th of 743 public high schools	66.4%		63.2	233^rd of 735 public high schools	68.3%	17			44.1	28.8					50.0		44.0	$14,508	$1,234	$13,274
Manton Consolidated High School	Public	9-12	105 5th St	Manton	49663	Wexford County	Manton Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 824-6411	302	17	17.3	53.3%	274 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	43.2	399^th of 743 public high schools	46.3%		27.6	538^th of 735 public high schools	26.8%	139			46.0	16.0					34.0		38.0	$12,249	$1,432	$10,818
Traverse City High School	Public	9-12	3962 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5860	149	9	15.8	74.5%	106 (71.1%)	3 (2.0%)	19 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	1 (0.7%)	14 (9.4%)	8.8	675^th of 743 public high schools	9.2%					(n/a)			22.5								11.1	$17,598	$1,311	$16,287
North EdCareer Technical	Public	11-12	880 Parsons Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 922-6260	1	36	.0		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Central High School	Public	8-12	1150 Milliken Dr	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6500	1,324	58	22.9	27.3%	1,177 (88.9%)	16 (1.2%)	45 (3.4%)	17 (1.3%)	20 (1.5%)	3 (0.2%)	46 (3.5%)	77.1	136^th of 743 public high schools	81.7%		81.7	111^th of 735 public high schools	84.9%	25			69.1	48.0					35.0		49.7	$12,922	$1,329	$11,593
The Greenspire High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2200 Dendrinos Drive	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	151	11	13.7	41.7%	130 (86.1%)	4 (2.6%)	7 (4.6%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.0%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.3%)	82.5	98^th of 743 public high schools	86.8%		83.7	93^rd of 735 public high schools	87.3%	5			61.3	32.3					61.3		64.5	$8,010	$1,547	$6,463
Lake City High School	Public	9-12	251 Russell St	Lake City	49651	Missaukee County	Lake City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 839-6600	384	24	16.0	67.7%	344 (89.6%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	50.9	335^th of 743 public high schools	54.9%		34.3	483^rd of 735 public high schools	34.3%	148			47.8	18.8					48.5		33.8	$13,079	$1,626	$11,453
The Greenspire School	Public, Charter	6-12	1026 Red Dr	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	98	11	8.9	40.8%	81 (82.7%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (12.2%)								(n/a)	65.9	15.9			33.3	17.2	13.3	50.0		36.4		$12,759	$1,537	$11,221

Forest Area High School

Forest Area High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Forest Area Community Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Forest Area High School

Rank History for all students at Forest Area High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forest Area High School

Rank History for Female students at Forest Area High School

Rank History for Male students at Forest Area High School

Rank History for White students at Forest Area High School

Enrollment information for Forest Area High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Forest Area High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Forest Area High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Forest Area High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Forest Area High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Forest Area High School