Middle Schools in Northview Public Schools

The two middle schools serving Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids, MI, are Crossroads Middle School (grades 7-8, 472 students) and Highlands School (grades 5-6, 445 students), both of which consistently outperform state averages across nearly all subjects.

These two schools form a clear academic pipeline, each with distinct strengths. Crossroads Middle School shines in advanced literacy and analytical subjects, with 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency at 77.5% (12.7 points above the state) and 8th-grade M-Step Social Studies at 64.4% (14.1 points above the state). However, its math scores are more modest, with 7th-grade M-Step Math at 36.5% and 8th-grade PSAT Math at 32.6%, only slightly above state averages. In contrast, Highlands School excels in foundational skills, particularly 6th-grade Math (46% vs. 31.5% state) and 5th-grade Science (49.1%, 8.8 points above the state). The most striking difference is in student engagement: Highlands has an excellent chronic absenteeism rate of 16.5%, while Crossroads sits at 24.6%—much closer to the state average of 27.9%. This suggests the transition to 7th grade may be a vulnerable period for student engagement.

Financially, the schools are nearly identical, with per-student spending of $15,568 at Highlands and $15,374 at Crossroads, though Highlands enjoys a better student-teacher ratio (15.6:1 vs. 17.5:1). Both serve similar proportions of economically disadvantaged students (35.3% at Highlands, 33.5% at Crossroads). Encouragingly, preliminary 2025-2026 data shows 7th-grade M-Step Math proficiency at Crossroads jumping from 36.5% to 40.9%, suggesting recent instructional changes are working. For parents, this district offers a well-structured progression: strong foundational math and science at Highlands, followed by advanced literacy and social studies at Crossroads, all within a district that consistently beats state benchmarks.