Summary:
The Iron Mountain Public Schools district in Michigan is home to two middle schools: East Elementary School (grades 5-6) and Central Middle School (grades 7-8). While the schools serve different grade levels, they both demonstrate pockets of strong academic performance, particularly in certain subject areas.
East Elementary School stands out for its significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) for 5th graders, with 65.2% of students scoring proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 44.4%. In contrast, Central Middle School outperforms the district and state in 8th grade PSAT scores, with 70.5% of students proficient in ELA and 50% proficient in Math, well above the Michigan averages.
Both schools, however, face challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates of 29.5%, well above the state average. Additionally, the schools serve a relatively high-need student population, with 61% and 61.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The funding disparity between the two schools, with Central Middle spending $2,500 more per student than East Elementary, is also noteworthy and may be an area for further investigation.
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