Just a decade after opening, Jackson Prep & Early College has the highest SAT scores in Jackson County

Since opening in 2014, Jackson Preparatory & Early College (JPEC) – a charter school located at Jackson College – has established itself as the highest-performing high school in all of Jackson County.

The proof can be found in the latest round of SAT and M-STEP scores, which were released by the Michigan Department of Education in late August. They show that JPEC has the highest SAT scores in the county.

JPEC’s average SAT score of 1,028.3 is not only the highest among all high schools in Jackson County; it’s also well above the state average of 967. This is nothing new: JPEC routinely has the highest SAT scores in the county.

JPEC President Jonathon Marowelli said he’s proud of his students’ success, and attributes it to hard work and staying true to the school’s mission.

“At JPEC, our mission is to inspire excellence – one student at a time,” Marowelli said. “Our students’ success on the SAT is a direct reflection of that mission in action.”

True to its name, JPEC is both a college-preparatory high school and an early college, serving students in grades 6-13. Authorized by Jackson College, the school offers students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while also taking college courses. Students are able to graduate with either a college associate’s degree or 60-plus college credits toward a four-year degree.

Students are also able to earn Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificates in a variety of career-oriented fields.

By every metric, JPEC has been an overwhelming success in its 11 years of existence.

“Through rigorous academics, caring relationships, and a college-going culture, our students are proving that preparation and purpose lead to real achievement,” Marowelli said. “This is why more than 30% of our students earn CTE certificates, and our graduates leave with an average of 1.8 college degrees or certificates per student – evidence that they’re not just college-ready, but college-accomplished.”

JPEC also had the highest M-STEP scores in Jackson County in 11th-grade Social Studies, with 56 percent of students graded proficient.