Middle Schools in Howell Public Schools

Highlander Way Middle School is the sole middle school in Howell Public Schools, serving grades 6-8 with 789 students in Howell, Michigan.

For parents considering this school, the standout finding is that Highlander Way performs best in 8th grade content areas. Science proficiency (45.6%) and social studies proficiency (55.8%) both exceed state averages by more than 5 percentage points, and PSAT English Language Arts scores (69.6%) also run nearly 5 points above the state. Math performance is more mixed—6th and 7th grade M-Step scores are slightly above state averages, and 8th grade PSAT math improved dramatically from 26.6% to 36.8% in one year, though this still warrants monitoring. The school’s overall state ranking has been remarkably stable (285-293 out of roughly 890 schools) for three consecutive years, suggesting consistent, reliable performance rather than year-to-year swings.

The most concerning trend is in 6th grade ELA, which dropped from 41.2% to 31.3% proficiency—a 10-point decline that appears cohort-specific since 7th grade ELA only dipped slightly. Chronic absenteeism (31.5%) is also notably higher than the state average (27.9%), despite a relatively low poverty rate (23% free/reduced lunch), suggesting attendance challenges may stem from factors beyond socioeconomic status. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1 and per-student spending of $15,464, the school invests heavily in staffing, yet academic outcomes are only moderately above state averages in most subjects. Parents should note that while the school outperforms its district in several areas (7th grade ELA, 8th grade science and social studies), it trails in 6th grade ELA and 8th grade PSAT ELA—a mixed pattern that suggests distinct strengths worth exploring if your child excels in science or social studies.