Middle Schools in Traverse City Area Public Schools

The Traverse City Area Public Schools district is home to two high-performing middle schools, West Middle School and East Middle School, both of which have consistently ranked among the top middle schools in Michigan and earned 4-star ratings from SchoolDigger.

Both schools have demonstrated strong academic performance, with students significantly outperforming the state average on M-Step and PSAT assessments across various subjects and grade levels. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, 49.7% of 6th graders at West Middle School were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 38.6%, while 55.4% of 7th graders at East Middle School were proficient or better in the same subject, compared to the state average of 39.2%.

While there are some demographic differences between the two schools, with West Middle School having a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and a slightly higher student-teacher ratio, both schools continue to provide a high-quality education to their students. The higher per-student spending at East Middle School may contribute to its slightly stronger academic performance, but the overall excellence of both schools suggests that factors beyond just spending are driving their success.