Summary:
Reese Middle School is the sole middle school in the Reese Public Schools district, serving grades 6 through 8 with 161 students in a small, rural Michigan community.
For parents considering this school, the most encouraging news is the strong upward trend. Reese Middle School jumped from a ranking of 629th in Michigan (29th percentile) in 2024-2025 to 498th (44th percentile) in 2025-2026, indicating recent improvements are taking hold. The school’s best subject is 8th-grade English Language Arts on the PSAT, where 58% of students are proficient, though this still trails the state average of 64.8%. However, there are notable trouble spots. The biggest concern is 8th-grade science, where only 26% of students are proficient versus a 39.2% state average—a gap of over 13 points. Math proficiency is also below state averages in both 6th grade (30% vs. 31.9%) and 7th grade (23.7% vs. 33.3%). Interestingly, 6th-grade ELA is a bright spot, with 43.3% proficiency beating the state’s 37.5%, while 7th-grade ELA lags at 30.5% versus 38.4%.
Financially, the school spends $13,188 per student, but the student-to-teacher ratio of 21.2 is relatively high, which could limit individualized attention. Despite 52.8% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, chronic absenteeism is just 18.1%—far better than the state’s 27.9%—suggesting strong community engagement. The most dramatic finding is the science score volatility: 8th-grade science proficiency was a mere 10.3% in 2024-2025 before jumping to 26% in 2025-2026. While still low, this improvement, combined with the overall ranking rise, suggests the school is actively addressing its challenges. Parents should watch whether 7th-grade ELA and math scores improve next year, as these are the clearest areas needing attention.
Thank you for your feedback!