Is West Senior High a good school?

West Senior High ranks 140 th of 743 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Senior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,471 students attended West Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of West Senior High?

Students at West Senior High are 89% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% African American.

What schools feed into West Senior High?

West Senior High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Long Lake Elementary School Elementary : Silver Lake Elementary School Elementary : Westwoods Elementary School Elementary : Willow Hill Elementary School Middle : West Middle School

West Senior High

Summary:

West Senior High is a public high school in Traverse City, Michigan, serving 1,509 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, which is ranked 168 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

West Senior High has a predominantly white student population, with 88.54% of students identifying as white. Academically, the school consistently ranks among the top high schools in Michigan, with students performing well on standardized tests. Its four-year graduation rate ranges from 93.5% to 97.1%, and its dropout rate, while increasing in recent years, remains lower than the state average. Approximately 34% of West Senior High students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a relatively higher socioeconomic status compared to the district and state averages.

While West Senior High performs well academically compared to other high schools in the Traverse City area, such as Central High School and Traverse City High School, Elk Rapids High School, located outside the district, consistently outperforms West Senior High on various metrics, including test scores, graduation rates, and overall statewide rankings. Additionally, West Senior High has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 18.3% in 2019-2020 to 48.7% in 2021-2022, and its performance for special education and English language learner students is relatively weaker compared to other subgroups.

Detail:

Public 9-12

5376 N Long Lake Rd
Traverse City, MI 49685-8217

(231) 933-7502

District: Traverse City Area Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
140^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,743

Feeder schools for West Senior High:

Elementary:	Long Lake Elementary School
	Silver Lake Elementary School
	Westwoods Elementary School
	Willow Hill Elementary School
Middle:	West Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 24.8

Number of students: 1,471

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.0%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.8%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare West Senior High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Senior High ranks better than 81.2% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.45. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at West Senior High 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 West Senior High has the largest high school student body size in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (89%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Senior High is 24.8, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare West Senior High employs 59.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Senior High is $12,743, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Senior High:

SchoolDigger ranks West Senior High 140^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See West Senior High 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:

Traverse City Area Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Traverse City Area Public Schools 168^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Senior High

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Rank History for all students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	77.09	153^rd	705	78.3%
2007	81.04	115^th	767	85.0%
2008	81.39	132^nd	750	82.4%
2009	86.23	84^th	754	88.9%
2010	84.92	76^th	765	90.1%
2011	82.54	103^rd	784	86.9%
2012	85.93	88^th	773	88.6%
2013	85.81	92^nd	805	88.6%
2014	77.35	141^st	799	82.4%
2015	67.20	271^st	832	67.4%
2016	79.69	134^th	852	84.3%
2017	78.02	146^th	835	82.5%
2018	80.24	137^th	824	83.4%
2019	83.81	91^st	666	86.3%
2021	85.50	62^nd	561	88.9%
2022	78.83	107^th	531	79.8%
2023	72.67	167^th	735	77.3%
2024	76.45	140^th	743	81.2%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.19	13^th	102	87.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	32.27	199^th	315	36.8%
2023	31.22	78^th	116	32.8%
2024	33.13	88^th	130	32.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	61.78	253^rd	755	66.5%
2019	73.69	107^th	532	79.9%
2021	85.61	40^th	417	90.4%
2022	77.23	76^th	369	79.4%
2023	69.65	140^th	614	77.2%
2024	79.18	88^th	654	86.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	79.88	120^th	710	83.1%
2019	82.01	79^th	554	85.7%
2021	88.69	38^th	462	91.8%
2022	77.23	95^th	416	77.2%
2023	71.18	135^th	611	77.9%
2024	63.59	186^th	619	70.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	73.01	172^nd	707	75.7%
2019	79.24	91^st	543	83.2%
2021	74.27	83^rd	472	82.4%
2022	73.07	113^th	440	74.3%
2023	66.40	169^th	611	72.3%
2024	79.96	99^th	633	84.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	40.07	58^th	87	33.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.03	115^th	201	42.8%

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

Rank History for White students at West Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	74.78	147^th	708	79.2%
2019	80.10	99^th	582	83.0%
2021	82.95	72^nd	516	86.0%
2022	76.81	105^th	492	78.7%
2023	68.79	168^th	647	74.0%
2024	70.81	151^st	638	76.3%

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 West Senior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	1252	5	10	8	29	n/a	n/a	1304
1999	1337	4	8	9	20	n/a	n/a	1378
2000	1392	2	11	10	21	n/a	n/a	1436
2001	1386	2	14	16	18	n/a	n/a	1436
2002	1346	1	16	16	19	n/a	n/a	1398
2003	1346	1	16	16	19	n/a	n/a	1398
2004	1386	3	14	19	24	n/a	n/a	1446
2005	1382	3	14	32	18	n/a	n/a	1449
2006	1439	4	16	33	19	n/a	n/a	1511
2007	1441	4	16	32	17	n/a	n/a	1510
2008	1451	8	20	33	18	n/a	n/a	1530
2009	1779	4	20	36	20	n/a	n/a	1859
2010	1732	10	24	38	27	n/a	n/a	1831
2011	1692	13	26	28	26	1	1	1787
2012	1635	17	28	33	21	1	4	1739
2013	1549	10	38	36	22	0	9	1664
2014	1526	14	39	37	26	0	18	1660
2015	1479	14	37	54	31	0	25	1640
2016	1470	12	31	48	25	0	34	1620
2017	1452	11	41	57	26	0	27	1614
2018	1507	11	35	58	22	0	32	1665
2019	1562	11	27	59	20	0	28	1707
2020	1473	11	21	61	22	0	41	1629
2021	1486	13	24	61	18	0	48	1650
2022	1381	14	20	63	19	0	47	1544
2023	1336	19	23	57	20	2	52	1509
2024	1309	16	24	60	18	1	43	1471

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 West Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	1304	55.0	23.7	0
1999	1378	65.0	21.2	8.9
2000	1436	65.1	22.1	14.2
2001	1436	71.4	20.1	13
2002	1398	68.1	20.5	16.2
2003	1398	68.1	20.5	16.2
2004	1446	68.6	21.1	19.6
2005	1449	67.0	21.6	20.1
2006	1511	70.1	21.6	21.2
2007	1510	67.0	22.5	22.6
2008	1530	67.7	22.6	25.9
2009	1859	91.5	20.3	30
2010	1831	80.4	22.7	31.2
2011	1787	80.3	22.2	34.1
2012	1739	77.3	22.4	32.3
2013	1664	73.5	22.6	29.3
2014	1660	72.5	22.8	34.7
2015	1640	71.0	23.0	28.5
2016	1620	68.0	23.8	23.6
2017	1614	66.1	24.3	29.2
2018	1665	66.4	25.0	32.5
2019	1707	69.7	24.4	29.2
2020	1629	68.7	23.6	28.9
2021	1650	67.3	24.4	28.2
2022	1544	67.0	23.0	28.4
2023	1509	60.7	24.8	34.4
2024	1471	59.2	24.8	29.8

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 West Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	1304	55.0	23.7	0
1999	1378	65.0	21.2	8.9
2000	1436	65.1	22.1	14.2
2001	1436	71.4	20.1	13
2002	1398	68.1	20.5	16.2
2003	1398	68.1	20.5	16.2
2004	1446	68.6	21.1	19.6
2005	1449	67.0	21.6	20.1
2006	1511	70.1	21.6	21.2
2007	1510	67.0	22.5	22.6
2008	1530	67.7	22.6	25.9
2009	1859	91.5	20.3	30
2010	1831	80.4	22.7	31.2
2011	1787	80.3	22.2	34.1
2012	1739	77.3	22.4	32.3
2013	1664	73.5	22.6	29.3
2014	1660	72.5	22.8	34.7
2015	1640	71.0	23.0	28.5
2016	1620	68.0	23.8	23.6
2017	1614	66.1	24.3	29.2
2018	1665	66.4	25.0	32.5
2019	1707	69.7	24.4	29.2
2020	1629	68.7	23.6	28.9
2021	1650	67.3	24.4	28.2
2022	1544	67.0	23.0	28.4
2023	1509	60.7	24.8	34.4
2024	1471	59.2	24.8	29.8

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 West Senior High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$359 (3.9%)	$8,859 (96.1%)	$9,218
2020	$503 (5.2%)	$9,263 (94.8%)	$9,766
2021	$725 (7.0%)	$9,603 (93.0%)	$10,328
2022	$1,002 (8.7%)	$10,466 (91.3%)	$11,469
2023	$1,308 (10.3%)	$11,435 (89.7%)	$12,743

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Senior High

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 91^st of 666 High schools	Ranks 167^th of 735 High schools	9.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (West Senior High)	61	34.6	26.4%
11th Grade Social Studies (Traverse City Area Public Schools)	63.3	40.8	22.5%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (West Senior High)	67	68.2	1.2%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Traverse City Area Public Schools)	68.2	72	3.8%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (West Senior High)	53.6	46.5	7.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Traverse City Area Public Schools)	51.7	47	4.7%
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	1707	1509	11.6%
African American	11	19	72.7%
American Indian	20	20
Asian	27	23	14.8%
Hispanic	59	57	3.4%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	1562	1336	14.5%
Two or More Races	28	52	85.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.2%	34.4%	5.2%

Schools Near West Senior High

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
West Senior High	Public	9-12	5376 N Long Lake Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-7502	1,471	59	24.8	29.8%	1,309 (89.0%)	16 (1.1%)	60 (4.1%)	24 (1.6%)	18 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (2.9%)	76.4	140^th of 743 public high schools	81.2%		72.7	167^th of 735 public high schools	77.3%	27			70.2	42.2					43.0		42.7	$12,743	$1,308	$11,435
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
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
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
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)
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
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
Suttons Bay Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 S Elm St	Suttons Bay	49682	Leelanau County	Suttons Bay Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 271-8604	143	6	24.3	53.8%	79 (55.2%)	1 (0.7%)	28 (19.6%)	2 (1.4%)	22 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.7%)	35.7	464^th of 743 public high schools	37.6%		69.3	188^th of 735 public high schools	74.4%	276			42.4	18.2					30.3		30.3	$20,298	$1,763	$18,535
Elk Rapids High School	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	359	19	19.2	25.3%	332 (92.5%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	96.4	18^th of 743 public high schools	97.6%		97.2	14^th of 735 public high schools	98.1%	4			70.8	58.4					76.4		70.5	$00	$00	$00
Sunrise Academy	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	27	2	15.0	59.3%	24 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)								(n/a)												$00	$00	$00

West Senior High

West Senior High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Traverse City Area Public Schools:

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Rank History for West Senior High

Rank History for all students at West Senior High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West Senior High

Rank History for Special Education students at West Senior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Senior High

Rank History for Female students at West Senior High

Rank History for Male students at West Senior High

Rank History for Asian students at West Senior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Senior High

Rank History for White students at West Senior High

Enrollment information for West Senior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Senior High

Student/Teacher Ratio West Senior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Senior High

Impact of COVID-19 on West Senior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Senior High

Frequently Asked Questions about West Senior High

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