Summary:
Whitehall Middle School is the only middle school in Whitehall District Schools, serving grades 6-8 with 424 students in the Whitehall, Michigan area.
Whitehall Middle School shows a concerning downward trend in its overall state ranking, dropping from the 76th percentile (4 stars) in 2024-25 to a projected 59th percentile (3 stars) for 2025-26. The most dramatic issue is in 8th-grade PSAT scores, which fell sharply year-over-year: Math proficiency dropped from 43.9% (well above the state average) to 26.9% (below the state average), while ELA fell from 71.2% to 53.7% — a 17-point drop in each subject. This decline appears to be driving the school's falling rank, since M-Step scores in other grades remain mixed but often at or above state averages. For instance, 7th-grade Math proficiency (43.4%) is 10 points above the state, while 8th-grade Science (29.3%) and Social Studies (41.4%) lag 10 and 9 points below state averages, respectively. The school also shows significant year-to-year volatility, such as 6th-grade Math swinging from 42.1% to 33.8% proficiency, suggesting performance is highly cohort-dependent.
Chronic absenteeism is a notable concern, with 28.5% of students chronically absent — slightly worse than the state average of 27.9%. About 40% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating moderate economic need. The school spends $15,272 per student with a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. For parents, the key takeaway is that while Whitehall Middle School has strengths in certain math areas, the sharp decline in 8th-grade PSAT scores and inconsistent M-Step results across subjects and grades warrant attention. The school's overall ranking drop suggests it may be losing ground relative to other Michigan middle schools, and the high absenteeism rate could be a contributing factor to the academic instability parents should monitor closely.
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