Summary:
Niles Community Schools is home to just one middle school, Ring Lardner Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 510 students in the Niles, Michigan area. This school has shown a notable upward trend in its state ranking, jumping from the 49th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 62nd percentile in both 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, placing it 338th out of roughly 890 schools statewide.
For parents, the most striking finding is the school’s split performance between different tests. In 8th grade, students shine on the PSAT: 72% are proficient in English Language Arts (nearly 7 points above the state average) and 39.8% are proficient in math (almost 10 points above the state). However, on the M-Step tests, the school lags behind state averages in 6th and 7th grade math (28.6% and 28.2% proficient, respectively) and in 8th grade science (34.4%) and social studies (41.1%). This suggests a strong alignment with PSAT-style skills, but a clear weakness in earlier-grade math that could threaten future gains. The school also outperforms the state in 7th grade ELA by 6.6 percentage points, reinforcing a consistent strength in reading and writing.
Other key metrics paint a mixed picture. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.4 and per-student spending of $14,765, the school invests heavily in its students. Yet, 59.8% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism sits at 23.5%—higher than the district’s 19.9% but below the state’s 27.9%. Notably, despite its improved ranking, Ring Lardner Middle School still trails its own district average in nearly every M-Step category, meaning other district schools may be performing even better. For parents, this school offers strong PSAT results and ELA success, but math and science in earlier grades, along with absenteeism, are areas to watch closely.
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