Summary:
Cadillac Area Public Schools is served by a single middle school, Mackinaw Trail Middle School, which enrolls 683 students in grades 6 through 8 and holds a strong top-20% state ranking.
As the only middle school in the Cadillac Area Public Schools district, Mackinaw Trail is the sole focus for parents in this area. The school earns a 4-star rating and ranks 175th out of 896 Michigan middle schools, a position it has held consistently for three years. Academically, the school is a standout in math and science, significantly outpacing state averages. For example, 7th-grade math proficiency is 55.4% versus the state's 33.3%, and 8th-grade science proficiency is 53% compared to the state's 39.2%. However, there is a notable weakness in 8th-grade English Language Arts on the PSAT, where the school's 63.5% proficiency rate falls just below the state average of 64.8%. This is a stark contrast to its strong M-Step ELA results in 6th and 7th grades, where it outperforms the state by 8-9 percentage points.
Key metrics show that 51.98% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, and the district spends $14,166 per student with a student-teacher ratio of 17.3 to 1. A critical concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 28.5%, which is higher than both the district (24.7%) and state (27.9%) averages. Despite this challenge, the school achieves high academic results, suggesting that present students are highly engaged. Year-over-year data shows improvement in most subjects, but 8th-grade science proficiency dropped significantly from 59.6% to 53%, which warrants attention. For parents, this school offers a rigorous STEM-focused education with a clear need for improved attendance and a specific focus on supporting 8th-grade literacy skills.
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