Handy Middle School

Handy Middle School in Bay City, MI, serves 598 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Bay City School District.

Handy Middle School faces significant challenges that set it apart from nearby schools. The most striking issue is chronic absenteeism, which affects 55.5% of students—more than double the state average of 27.9% and far higher than the 23.8% rate at Western Middle School, just a few miles away in the same district. Academic performance mirrors this struggle, with only 19.5% of 6th graders proficient in ELA and 12.8% proficient in math on the M-Step, compared to state averages of 37.5% and 30.5%, respectively. Nearly 79% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a much higher rate than the 40% at Western or the 45.6% at Christa McAuliffe Middle School. Interestingly, Handy spends more per student ($18,342) than Western ($13,798) or Swan Valley Middle School ($13,168), yet outcomes remain lower—a pattern that suggests the compounding effects of poverty and absenteeism are difficult to overcome with funding alone.

Despite these hurdles, there are encouraging signs. Handy's overall ranking improved from the 27th to the 34th percentile in the most recent year, moving from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. Eighth graders showed notable strength in social studies, with 43.3% proficient—close to the state average of 50.3%—and 61.7% scored proficient in ELA on the PSAT, a much higher rate than the lower-grade M-Step scores. This suggests students may be making meaningful academic gains by 8th grade. While the school's challenges are real and persistent, these bright spots, along with recent improvements for male students and those from low-income backgrounds, offer hope that targeted efforts are beginning to take root.