Is Tawas Area High School a good school?

Tawas Area High School ranks 128 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Tawas Area High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 348 students attended Tawas Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Tawas Area High School?

Students at Tawas Area High School are 87% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Tawas Area High School?

Tawas Area High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Clara B Bolen Elementary School Middle : Tawas Area Middle School

Tawas Area High School

Summary:

Tawas Area High School is a public high school located in Tawas City, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 346. The school is part of the Tawas Area Schools district, which is ranked 182 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Tawas Area High School consistently outperforms the state average in academic proficiency across various subjects, with 62.4% proficiency in M-Step/Science, 52.9% in M-Step/Social Studies, 63.5% in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and 29.4% in SAT/Mathematics. The school also maintains a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 91.8% to 97.2% over the past five years, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, Tawas Area High School has shown strong performance across various student subgroups, ranking 122 out of 619 Michigan high schools for female students, 127 out of 633 for male students, and 14 out of 130 for special education students, all with 4-star ratings.

When compared to nearby schools, such as WhittemorePrescott JrSr High School and Au GresSims High School, Tawas Area High School generally outperforms its counterparts in academic proficiency, graduation rates, and subgroup performance. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 23.1% in 2019-2020 to 34.6% in 2022-2023, which is a concerning trend that may require further investigation and intervention.

Detail:

Public 9-12

255 W M 55
Tawas City, MI 48763-9252

(989) 984-2100

District: Tawas Area Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
128^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,808

Feeder schools for Tawas Area High School:

Elementary:	Clara B Bolen Elementary School
Middle:	Tawas Area Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.8

Number of students: 348

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.6%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Tawas Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Tawas Area High School ranks better than 82.8% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.72. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Tawas 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 (87.4%), two or more races (4.9%), Hispanic (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tawas Area High School is 19.8. (See more...)

Compare Tawas Area High School employs 17.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Tawas Area High School is $14,808.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Tawas Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Tawas Area High School 128^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Tawas Area 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:

Tawas Area Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Tawas Area Schools 182^nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Tawas Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Tawas Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	74.50	190^th	705	73.0%
2007	71.71	229^th	767	70.1%
2008	72.50	236^th	750	68.5%
2009	76.04	187^th	754	75.2%
2010	73.67	221^st	765	71.1%
2011	68.68	299^th	784	61.9%
2012	62.02	318^th	773	58.9%
2013	63.99	295^th	805	63.4%
2014	73.91	173^rd	799	78.3%
2015	80.96	138^th	832	83.4%
2016	79.71	133^rd	852	84.4%
2017	82.80	109^th	835	86.9%
2018	56.54	343^rd	824	58.4%
2019	71.24	171^st	666	74.3%
2021	59.92	178^th	561	68.3%
2022	67.13	178^th	531	66.5%
2023	74.20	157^th	735	78.6%
2024	78.72	128^th	743	82.8%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Tawas Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.70	185^th	315	41.3%
2024	83.85	14^th	130	89.2%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	55.11	303^rd	755	59.9%
2019	58.63	195^th	532	63.3%
2021	72.30	81^st	417	80.6%
2022	71.63	105^th	369	71.5%
2023	93.06	30^th	614	95.1%
2024	77.02	96^th	654	85.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Tawas Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	54.05	308^th	710	56.6%
2019	69.38	145^th	554	73.8%
2021	65.70	119^th	462	74.2%
2022	66.24	142^nd	416	65.9%
2023	53.31	270^th	611	55.8%
2024	74.77	122^nd	619	80.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Tawas Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	48.85	358^th	707	49.4%
2019	62.38	198^th	543	63.5%
2021	40.23	280^th	472	40.7%
2022	58.79	187^th	440	57.5%
2023	84.50	75^th	611	87.7%
2024	75.83	127^th	633	79.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Tawas Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	40.64	429^th	708	39.4%
2019	60.11	217^th	582	62.7%
2021	41.97	284^th	516	45.0%
2022	57.60	208^th	492	57.7%
2023	59.65	227^th	647	64.9%
2024	69.04	166^th	638	74.0%

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 Tawas 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	545	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	552
1989	510	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	-6	504
1990	501	0	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	-11	495
1991	497	2	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	508
1992	481	1	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
1993	475	0	8	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	487
1994	499	2	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
1995	503	4	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
1996	503	4	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
1997	554	3	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	570
1998	528	3	9	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	550
1999	552	6	9	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	577
2000	595	3	10	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	614
2001	546	0	6	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	559
2002	570	1	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	578
2003	570	1	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	578
2004	514	4	1	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	527
2005	532	4	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	546
2006	540	3	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	552
2007	575	3	2	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	588
2008	604	1	4	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	617
2009	570	1	5	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	586
2010	598	4	6	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	621
2011	538	3	5	7	6	3	1	0	563
2012	541	3	5	8	6	2	1	0	566
2013	502	3	7	3	8	3	0	0	526
2014	490	3	6	2	4	0	1	0	506
2015	509	4	9	4	4	0	2	0	532
2016	509	1	8	6	6	1	4	0	535
2017	407	1	7	6	4	1	4	0	430
2018	396	1	7	14	3	1	5	0	427
2019	392	2	14	15	2	1	6	0	432
2020	369	3	13	12	2	1	10	0	410
2021	348	5	11	12	2	0	12	0	390
2022	334	4	12	13	1	0	16	0	380
2023	305	4	8	10	1	0	18	0	346
2024	304	3	7	16	1	0	17	0	348

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 Tawas Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	552	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	504	n/a	n/a	9.7
1990	495	39.0	12.6	7.7
1991	508	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	490	n/a	n/a	15.9
1993	487	n/a	0.0	50.5
1994	511	26.7	19.1	16.6
1995	517	27.3	18.9	17.2
1996	517	27.3	18.9	17.2
1997	570	29.0	19.7	17
1998	550	28.0	19.6	20
1999	577	30.0	19.2	19.4
2000	614	30.9	19.9	30.5
2001	559	31.4	17.8	35.8
2002	578	29.3	19.7	40.1
2003	578	29.3	19.7	40.1
2004	527	28.1	18.8	42.3
2005	546	26.9	20.3	43.8
2006	552	26.2	21.1	46
2007	588	26.8	21.9	32
2008	617	26.8	23.0	31.8
2009	586	25.7	22.8	36
2010	621	29.3	21.1	43.3
2011	563	27.7	20.2	43.3
2012	566	27.3	20.6	44.3
2013	526	23.7	22.1	41.4
2014	506	26.0	19.4	41.7
2015	532	27.0	19.7	45.3
2016	535	26.0	20.5	47.5
2017	430	19.0	22.5	46
2018	427	20.7	20.5	49.2
2019	432	22.9	18.8	46.1
2020	410	21.2	19.2	40
2021	390	21.3	18.3	46.9
2022	380	20.0	18.9	41.6
2023	346	18.2	18.9	41.6
2024	348	17.5	19.8	46.6

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 Tawas Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	552	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	504	n/a	n/a	9.7
1990	495	39.0	12.6	7.7
1991	508	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	490	n/a	n/a	15.9
1993	487	n/a	0.0	50.5
1994	511	26.7	19.1	16.6
1995	517	27.3	18.9	17.2
1996	517	27.3	18.9	17.2
1997	570	29.0	19.7	17
1998	550	28.0	19.6	20
1999	577	30.0	19.2	19.4
2000	614	30.9	19.9	30.5
2001	559	31.4	17.8	35.8
2002	578	29.3	19.7	40.1
2003	578	29.3	19.7	40.1
2004	527	28.1	18.8	42.3
2005	546	26.9	20.3	43.8
2006	552	26.2	21.1	46
2007	588	26.8	21.9	32
2008	617	26.8	23.0	31.8
2009	586	25.7	22.8	36
2010	621	29.3	21.1	43.3
2011	563	27.7	20.2	43.3
2012	566	27.3	20.6	44.3
2013	526	23.7	22.1	41.4
2014	506	26.0	19.4	41.7
2015	532	27.0	19.7	45.3
2016	535	26.0	20.5	47.5
2017	430	19.0	22.5	46
2018	427	20.7	20.5	49.2
2019	432	22.9	18.8	46.1
2020	410	21.2	19.2	40
2021	390	21.3	18.3	46.9
2022	380	20.0	18.9	41.6
2023	346	18.2	18.9	41.6
2024	348	17.5	19.8	46.6

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 Tawas Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$481 (4.7%)	$9,859 (95.3%)	$10,340
2020	$535 (4.7%)	$10,846 (95.3%)	$11,381
2021	$1,908 (16.7%)	$9,496 (83.3%)	$11,403
2022	$1,321 (10.4%)	$11,333 (89.6%)	$12,654
2023	$1,917 (12.9%)	$12,891 (87.1%)	$14,808

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Tawas 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 171^st of 666 High schools	Ranks 157^th of 735 High schools	4.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Tawas Area High School)	54.9	44.3	10.6%
11th Grade Social Studies (Tawas Area Schools)	54.9	44.3	10.6%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Tawas Area High School)	62.7	58.6	4.1%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Tawas Area Schools)	62.7	58.6	4.1%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Tawas Area High School)	42.2	34.3	7.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Tawas Area Schools)	42.2	34.3	7.9%
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	432	346	19.9%
African American	2	4	100%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	14	8	42.9%
Hispanic	15	10	33.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	392	305	22.2%
Two or More Races	6	18	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46.1%	41.6%	4.4%

Schools Near Tawas 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 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
Tawas Area High School	Public	9-12	255 W M 55	Tawas City	48763	Iosco County	Tawas Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 984-2100	348	18	19.8	46.6%	304 (87.4%)	3 (0.9%)	16 (4.6%)	7 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)	78.7	128^th of 743 public high schools	82.8%		74.2	157^th of 735 public high schools	78.6%	29			63.5	29.4				62.4		52.9	$14,808	$1,917	$12,891
Career and Technical Education Center	Public	11-12	27 N Rempert Rd	Tawas City	48763	Iosco County	Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(989) 362-3006	0	8	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County	Public, Charter	6-12	40 W M 55	Tawas City	48763	Iosco County	Alternative Educational Academy of Iosco County	Yes	No	No	No	(989) 362-2575	187	6	30.8	84.0%	167 (89.3%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.3%)	15.5	627^th of 743 public high schools	15.6%		36.8	459^th of 735 public high schools	37.6%	168			24.0					23.8		15.0	$7,649	$1,771	$5,878
Oscoda Area High School	Public	7-12	3550 E River Rd	Oscoda	48750	Iosco County	Oscoda Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 739-9121	485	28	17.4	67.0%	410 (84.5%)	6 (1.2%)	41 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.9%)	56	295^th of 743 public high schools	60.3%		44.4	393^rd of 735 public high schools	46.5%	98	67.1	37.1	48.5	21.2	44.2	37.9	34.3	48.5	21.4	39.4	$15,664	$3,054	$12,610
WhittemorePrescott JrSr High School	Public	7-12	6001 Mills Rd	Whittemore	48770	Iosco County	Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 756-2501	285	14	19.8	79.3%	242 (84.9%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.4%)	9.5	669^th of 743 public high schools	10.0%		12.9	644^th of 735 public high schools	12.4%	25	46.2	20.5	21.2			9.5	17.5		15.0	14.7	$15,598	$1,494	$14,104
Au GresSims High School	Public	9-12	310 S Court St	Au Gres	48703	Arenac County	Au Gres-Sims School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 876-7157	149	7	20.2	61.7%	134 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	24.4	559^th of 743 public high schools	24.8%		49.4	354^th of 735 public high schools	51.8%	205			30.3					20.6		29.4	$14,832	$2,297	$12,536

Tawas Area High School

Tawas Area High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Tawas Area Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Tawas Area High School

Rank History for all students at Tawas Area High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Tawas Area High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Tawas Area High School

Rank History for Male students at Tawas Area High School

Rank History for White students at Tawas Area High School

Enrollment information for Tawas Area High School

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

Student/Teacher Ratio Tawas Area High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Tawas Area High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Tawas Area High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Tawas Area High School