Michigan Schools Below Middle of the Pack, Despite Per Pupil Spending: Report

Michigan students heading back to school after Labor Day will get a less than middle-of-the-road education, according to a new report released by Wallethub.

The number crunchers at Wallethub compared every school system in the nation, and Michigan didn’t fare well, coming in as the 34th worst public education system in the nation.

Schools ranked 35th for overall quality, and 29th for safety, according to the report.

The report compares factors such as SAT scores, dropout rates, reading scores and math scores. Michigan’s best score was its No. 3 ranking in student SAT scores, behind Illinois and North Dakota, respectively.

Wallethub also compared spending vs. outcome, and Michigan, again, fared poorly with the 12th highest spending per student only to achieve the 34th best outcome.

Michigan has one of the highest rates of bullying among the states, Wallethub said.

BEST SCHOOLS

1. Massachusetts
2. New Jersey
3. Connecticut
4. Vermont
5. Wisconsin

WORST SCHOOLS

1. Louisiana
2. New Mexico
3. Alaska
4. Arizona
5. District of Columbia

Michigan once had some of the best schools in the nation, but has plummeted from a Top 10 rating to below the middle of the pack in more scientific ratings.

The Education Trust-Midwest said in a May report that Michigan is experiencing systemic failure across racial and socio-economic groups, all across the state. In reading levels among fourth-graders, Michigan is now ranked 41st, down from 28th in 2003 and 38th in 2013.

“Michigan’s educational crisis is also an economic crisis,” according to Amber Arellano, ETM’s executive director.

“Leading education states show how important business leaders’ voices are for greater quality and accountability in our public schools,” Arellano said. “We need to have a serious conversation about how to improve schools, and we applaud those leaders who have stepped up as a voice for equity, and invite others to join them.”

Photo: Shutterstock