Summary:
Belding, Michigan is served by a single middle school, Belding Middle School, which enrolls 363 students in grades 6 through 8 as part of the Belding Area School District.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Belding Middle School performs in the middle of the pack statewide, ranking 489th out of 896 Michigan middle schools (45th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year. Academically, the school shows a clear split: it is relatively close to state averages in English Language Arts and Social Studies, but lags significantly in mathematics. For example, 8th grade PSAT math proficiency is just 20.1% compared to the state's 33.2%, while ELA proficiency is 60.4% versus 64.8% statewide. M-Step scores tell a similar story, with 6th and 7th grade math proficiency around 23% (state averages are roughly 32-33%), while ELA proficiency sits near 35% (state averages are about 38%). The school's 8th grade Social Studies performance is a bright spot, nearly matching the state average at 48.9% and showing a dramatic 10-point improvement over the prior year.
Financially, the school spends a substantial $14,385 per student, yet maintains a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 16.7, which may limit the impact of that spending on classroom instruction. A significant challenge is chronic absenteeism, with 27.7% of students chronically absent—higher than the district's 23.9% rate and nearly identical to the state average. Additionally, 61.16% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating high economic need. Year-over-year data shows concerning declines in ELA and math proficiency across 6th and 7th grades, though 8th grade science and social studies improved. Parents should consider these mixed trends, particularly the math achievement gap and absenteeism, when evaluating the school's overall effectiveness.
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