Several school districts in Berrien County have been recognized among the Top 50 school districts in Michigan.
Bridgman Public Schools, Lakeshore Public Schools, New Buffalo Area Schools, and St. Joseph Public Schools all made the list, which was determined by evaluating factors such as state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, and teacher quality, among others.
Berrien RESA superintendent Eric Hoppstock presented a congratulatory letter to each of the schools to acknowledge this significant achievement.
“That’s pretty exciting that we have districts that have made a commitment to excellence,” Hoppstock says. “The nice thing about that is we are working to [see] what are we learning from that so that hopefully, ambitious as it may sound, every district in Berrien County can become a top 50 district.”
According to the rankings compiled by Niche.com, New Buffalo Area Schools ranked the highest in the county at #10, followed by St. Joseph at #13, Bridgman at #34, and Lakeshore at #36.
The 2025 Best School Districts rankings are based on a thorough analysis of key statistics, as well as reviews from students and parents, with data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education.
