Middle Schools in Airport Community Schools

The Airport Community Schools district in Carleton, Michigan, operates two middle-level schools serving grades 5 through 8: Wagar Junior High School (grades 6-8, 641 students) and Wagar Middle School (grade 5 only, 221 students), both located on the same campus. The district overall ranks in the 56th percentile among Michigan districts with a 3-star rating.

The two buildings show contrasting academic profiles. Wagar Junior High School is the stronger performer, particularly in 8th grade, where students exceed state averages in Science (46.7% vs. 39.2%), Social Studies (55.5% vs. 50.3%), and PSAT English Language Arts (71.1% vs. 64.8%). The school has also shown remarkable year-over-year improvement, jumping from the 45th to 61st percentile in state rankings, with 8th-grade Social Studies proficiency rising an impressive 18.1 points. However, 6th and 7th grade ELA and Math scores remain below state averages by 3-8 points. In contrast, Wagar Middle School serves a higher-poverty population (54.3% free/reduced lunch vs. 46.65% at the junior high) and struggles significantly in 5th-grade ELA (32.2% vs. 43.8% state) and Math (25.8% vs. 32.2% state), though it does match or slightly exceed state averages in Science and Social Studies.

Chronic absenteeism is a notable concern at Wagar Junior High School, where 32.4% of students are chronically absent—well above the state rate of 27.9%—despite the 5th-grade building having a lower rate (26.8%) despite greater economic need. Per-student spending is higher at Wagar Middle School ($13,848 vs. $12,779), likely reflecting the cost of operating a single-grade building. The dramatic academic gains seen in 8th grade suggest strong growth during the junior high years, but the significant 5th-grade dip in core subjects indicates a critical transition period that may require additional support, especially given the economic disparity between the two buildings.