Summary:
The Mount Clemens Community School District contains just one middle school, Mount Clemens Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 with a small enrollment of 151 students in an area where the vast majority of families face economic challenges.
Mount Clemens Middle School is currently ranked in the bottom 7th percentile of Michigan middle schools (829th out of 896), earning a 0-star rating. Academic proficiency is dramatically below state averages across every subject and grade level. For example, only 6.25% of 6th graders and 6.52% of 7th graders are proficient in math, compared to state averages around 32-33%. ELA proficiency is similarly low, with just 12.5% of 6th graders and 10.9% of 7th graders meeting standards, versus state averages near 38%. The school shows relative strength in 8th-grade science (15.9% proficient) and social studies (15.6%), though these still trail state averages by more than half. The one bright spot is the 8th-grade PSAT ELA score of 37.5% proficient, which is notably higher than the lower-grade M-Step scores, though still well below the state's 64.8%.
The most pressing issue facing this school is chronic absenteeism: 64.2% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state average of 27.9%. With 91.39% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population, and the absenteeism rate is likely a major driver of the low test scores. Interestingly, the school spends a substantial $15,978 per student, yet maintains a high student-to-teacher ratio of 25.8:1. This funding paradox suggests that money alone isn't solving the problem—the school appears trapped in a cycle where poverty fuels absenteeism, absenteeism leads to disengagement and low achievement, and low achievement further discourages attendance. Breaking this cycle will require intensive, holistic interventions addressing both the root causes of absenteeism and the academic and social-emotional needs of students.
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