Middle Schools in North Branch Area Schools

Ruth Fox Middle School is the only middle school in the North Branch Area Schools district, serving 722 students in grades 5 through 8 in North Branch, Michigan. This single-school district means all middle-level data reflects this one campus, which has earned a strong reputation with a 74th percentile state ranking (4 stars) for the 2025-2026 school year, though rankings have fluctuated between the 58th and 76th percentiles over the past three years.

For parents, the standout story is the school’s exceptional performance in the early middle grades. In 2025-2026, 5th and 6th graders dramatically outpaced state averages in both English Language Arts and math—6th graders scored 56.8% proficient in ELA (19.3 points above the state) and 52.1% in math (20.2 points above). Fifth graders also excelled in science, hitting 50.6% proficiency versus the state’s 40.0%. However, a clear "7th grade dip" emerges: 7th graders fell 4.3 points below the state in ELA, and their math advantage narrowed to just 12.7 points above the state average. By 8th grade, PSAT scores show ELA near the state average (63.5% vs. 64.8%) but math proficiency at just 33.3%, nearly matching the state’s 33.2%—a stark contrast to the earlier grades’ dominance.

Year-to-year swings are notable, with 6th grade ELA jumping 24.2 points and 5th grade social studies dropping 22.7 points between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, likely reflecting different student cohorts rather than program changes. Chronic absenteeism sits at 22.2%, below the state’s 27.9%, despite a moderate free/reduced lunch rate of 41.4%. With a student-teacher ratio of 19.6:1 and per-student spending of $12,338, the school achieves above-average results at a reasonable cost. Parents should watch the 7th grade transition closely, as this appears to be the school’s most challenging period for maintaining academic momentum.