Summary:
Northwest Community Schools in Jackson, MI, serves one middle school, Northwest Kidder Middle School, which enrolls 786 students in grades 5 through 8 with a student-teacher ratio of 15.2.
Since this is the only middle school in the district, there are no peer schools to compare it against, but the data reveals a clear pattern of academic challenges relative to state averages. The most striking issue is mathematics: proficiency rates are consistently less than half the state average. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, only 13.7% of 6th graders and 17.1% of 7th graders were proficient in M-Step math, compared to roughly 32-33% statewide. Eighth-grade PSAT math proficiency was similarly low at 18.5% versus 33.2% statewide. Science is also a major concern, with 8th-grade proficiency dropping sharply from 27.0% to 20.6% year-over-year, now less than half the state's 39.2%. English language arts shows a more mixed picture: 6th and 7th-grade M-Step ELA proficiency hovers around 27-28% (about 10 points below state averages), but 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency jumps to 61.4%, nearly matching the state's 64.8%. This suggests the school may be effectively supporting literacy growth by 8th grade, but the same progress is not happening in math or science.
Chronic absenteeism affects 26.7% of students, higher than the district's 23.4% and nearly matching the state's 27.9%, which likely undermines academic progress. Nearly 45% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a substantial economically disadvantaged population. The district spends $13,774 per student, yet outcomes remain persistently low, especially in math and science. For parents, the key takeaway is that Northwest Kidder Middle School offers a relative strength in 8th-grade reading, but families should be aware of significant gaps in math and science proficiency, as well as a high rate of chronic absenteeism that may require additional support and monitoring.
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