Summary:
Shepherd Middle School is the only middle school in Shepherd Public Schools, serving grades 6 through 8 with 390 students in Shepherd, Michigan. This school has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years, placing it in the top 30% of Michigan middle schools statewide.
For parents, the standout news is in math. Shepherd Middle School beats the state average in every math test it takes, with the biggest gap in 7th grade where 43.0% of students are proficient compared to 33.3% statewide—a nearly 10-point advantage. The school also shines in 8th grade social studies (55.1% proficiency, 4.8 points above the state) and science (43.2% vs. 39.2% statewide). Overall, the school outperforms Michigan averages in 7 of 8 subject and grade combinations. While 6th grade ELA dipped slightly below the state average (36.4% vs. 37.5%), 7th grade ELA is above average, and 8th grade PSAT ELA is strong at 66.1% proficiency. Notably, math scores improved year-over-year across all grades, while ELA slipped a bit in 6th and 7th grades—something to watch if your child needs literacy support.
What makes these results even more impressive is the context. Nearly half of students (48.97%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school still posts above-average scores. Chronic absenteeism is also a bright spot at 22.8%, which is 5.1 points better than the state rate of 27.9%, suggesting students are showing up and staying engaged. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.2:1 and per-student spending of $13,171, the school achieves strong results with reasonable class sizes. You’ll also see clear academic growth as students move from 6th to 8th grade, with proficiency climbing in both ELA and math—a sign that the school builds effectively on prior learning and prepares students well for high school.
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