Traverse City High School

Summary:

Traverse City High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Traverse City, Michigan, with a relatively small student population of 158. However, the school faces significant challenges, including declining enrollment, consistently low academic performance, concerning graduation and dropout rates, high chronic absenteeism, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Traverse City High School has seen a steady decline in its student population, with the percentage of White students dropping from 83.47% in 2020-2021 to 72.78% in 2022-2023, while the Hispanic and Native American student populations have increased. Academically, the school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, with only 11.11% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Social Studies and 22.5% proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The school's four-year graduation rates have been extremely low, ranging from 8.7% in 2018-2019 to 23.9% in 2022-2023, and its dropout rates have been high, ranging from 14.6% in 2019-2020 to 40.3% in 2018-2019.

Compared to other high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, such as West Senior High and Central High School, which have much higher academic achievement, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism, Traverse City High School significantly underperforms. The school also lags behind nearby schools outside the district, such as Forest Area High School and Suttons Bay Senior High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3962 3 Mile Rd N
Traverse City, MI 49686-9164

(231) 933-5860

District: Traverse City Area Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
675^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,598

Feeder schools for Traverse City High School:

Elementary:	Blair Elementary School
	Central Grade School
	Cherry Knoll Elementary School
	Courtade Elementary School
	More...
	Eastern Elementary School
	Long Lake Elementary School
	Silver Lake Elementary School
	TCAPS Montessori School
	Traverse Heights Elementary School
	Westwoods Elementary School
	Willow Hill Elementary School
Middle:	East Middle School
	West Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 149

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.1%

Hispanic:

12.8%

Two or more races:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Traverse City High School ranks worse than 90.8% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks last 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 8.81. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Traverse City 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 Traverse City High School has the smallest high school student body size in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (71.1%), Hispanic (12.8%), two or more races (9.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Traverse City High School is 15.8, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Traverse City High School employs 9.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Traverse City High School is $17,598, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Traverse City High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Traverse City High School 675^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Traverse City High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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 Traverse City High School

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Rank History for all students at Traverse City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	21.13	585^th	705	17.0%
2007	18.48	620^th	767	19.2%
2009	16.57	625^th	754	17.1%
2010	8.31	697^th	765	8.9%
2013	18.09	619^th	805	23.1%
2015	31.66	571^st	832	31.4%
2016	33.89	533^rd	852	37.4%
2018	22.77	601^st	824	27.1%
2024	8.81	675^th	743	9.2%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Traverse City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	3.84	621^st	638	2.7%

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 Traverse City High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	122	0	4	0	2	n/a	n/a	128
2002	214	1	6	12	4	n/a	n/a	237
2003	214	1	6	12	4	n/a	n/a	237
2004	202	2	3	13	2	n/a	n/a	222
2005	189	2	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	199
2006	173	1	2	8	4	n/a	n/a	188
2007	164	1	3	5	5	n/a	n/a	178
2008	168	4	3	8	2	n/a	n/a	185
2009	136	4	3	4	4	n/a	n/a	151
2010	164	6	4	5	7	n/a	n/a	186
2011	153	6	1	9	6	1	2	178
2012	160	2	1	12	12	1	2	190
2013	173	4	0	8	11	1	1	198
2014	160	6	1	9	11	0	2	189
2015	189	3	1	6	8	0	3	210
2016	204	6	2	9	10	0	5	236
2017	180	4	1	9	11	0	10	215
2018	163	3	0	12	15	0	13	206
2019	137	5	1	7	12	0	10	172
2020	140	2	0	7	14	0	5	168
2021	101	3	0	6	7	0	4	121
2022	119	4	0	14	9	0	10	156
2023	115	5	1	21	5	0	11	158
2024	106	3	0	19	6	1	14	149

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 Traverse City High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	128	4.7	27.2	0
2002	237	7.2	32.9	n/a
2003	237	7.2	32.9	n/a
2004	222	10.5	21.1	50
2005	199	9.4	21.2	74.9
2006	188	10.8	17.4	62.2
2007	178	10.6	16.8	48.3
2008	185	9.3	19.9	52.4
2009	151	7.8	19.4	77.5
2010	186	7.5	24.5	69.4
2011	178	7.3	24.3	72.5
2012	190	8.3	22.8	72.1
2013	198	7.8	25.3	66.2
2014	189	6.8	27.7	70.4
2015	210	8.0	26.2	60
2016	236	8.0	29.5	57.2
2017	215	8.8	24.4	64.2
2018	206	8.0	25.7	79.1
2019	172	8.5	20.2	65.7
2020	168	7.8	21.5	78
2021	121	7.7	15.6	67.8
2022	156	7.4	20.9	69.9
2023	158	8.7	18.1	67.1
2024	149	9.4	15.8	74.5

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 Traverse City High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	128	4.7	27.2	0
2002	237	7.2	32.9	n/a
2003	237	7.2	32.9	n/a
2004	222	10.5	21.1	50
2005	199	9.4	21.2	74.9
2006	188	10.8	17.4	62.2
2007	178	10.6	16.8	48.3
2008	185	9.3	19.9	52.4
2009	151	7.8	19.4	77.5
2010	186	7.5	24.5	69.4
2011	178	7.3	24.3	72.5
2012	190	8.3	22.8	72.1
2013	198	7.8	25.3	66.2
2014	189	6.8	27.7	70.4
2015	210	8.0	26.2	60
2016	236	8.0	29.5	57.2
2017	215	8.8	24.4	64.2
2018	206	8.0	25.7	79.1
2019	172	8.5	20.2	65.7
2020	168	7.8	21.5	78
2021	121	7.7	15.6	67.8
2022	156	7.4	20.9	69.9
2023	158	8.7	18.1	67.1
2024	149	9.4	15.8	74.5

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 Traverse City High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$720 (6.0%)	$11,374 (94.0%)	$12,095
2020	$627 (5.0%)	$11,928 (95.0%)	$12,556
2021	$2,001 (12.5%)	$14,069 (87.5%)	$16,070
2022	$574 (3.8%)	$14,436 (96.2%)	$15,010
2023	$1,311 (7.4%)	$16,287 (92.6%)	$17,598

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Traverse City 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	172	158	8.1%
African American	5	5
American Indian	12	5	58.3%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	7	21	200%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	137	115	16.1%
Two or More Races	10	11	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	65.7%	67.1%	1.4%

Schools Near Traverse City 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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Traverse City High School

What schools feed into Traverse City High School?

What district is Traverse City High School in?

Traverse City Area Public Schools

How many students attend Traverse City High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 149 students attended Traverse City High School.

What is the racial makeup of Traverse City High School?

Students at Traverse City High School are 71% White, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 2% African American.

Is Traverse City High School a good school?

Traverse City High School ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Michigan high schools.

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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.