Middle Schools in Holt Public Schools

The two middle schools in Holt Public Schools—Holt Junior High School (grades 7-8, 713 students) and Washington Woods Middle School (grades 5-6, 346 students)—serve roughly 1,059 students in a mid-Michigan district that ranks in the 53rd percentile statewide, offering a mixed picture of academic strengths and challenges for parents to consider.

Comparing the two schools, Holt Junior High School shows more consistent performance, with 8th-grade ELA (67.8% proficient) and social studies (52.5%) actually exceeding state averages, though math remains a persistent weakness at just 22.1% proficiency versus the 33.2% state average. In contrast, Washington Woods Middle School exhibits alarming 5th-grade results—only 5.6% proficient in math and 11.1% in science, both far below state norms—yet shows dramatic improvement by 6th grade, where math proficiency jumps to 26.1% and ELA reaches 31.3%. Notably, Washington Woods spends $2,161 more per student ($18,438 vs. $16,277) and maintains smaller class sizes (14.3:1 vs. 16.8:1) despite producing lower scores in most subjects, raising questions about resource effectiveness.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with Holt Junior High School at 30.1% and Washington Woods Middle School at 26.4%, both exceeding the state rate of 27.9%. The most striking finding is the year-over-year volatility at Washington Woods, where 5th-grade math proficiency plummeted from 18% to 5.6% in a single year—a decline that may reflect cohort differences or instructional changes rather than a stable trend. For parents, the key takeaway is that math instruction needs urgent attention across both schools, while Holt Junior High School offers relative stability and some above-average results in upper grades, making it the stronger choice for families prioritizing consistent academic outcomes.