Summary
Handy Middle School is a public middle school located in Bay City, Michigan, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 618 students. The school is part of the Bay City School District, which is ranked 352 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Handy Middle School has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Michigan middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.
Handy Middle School faces significant challenges in academic performance, with consistently low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math compared to the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 25.4% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 35.6% in the district and 38.6% statewide. The school also struggles with high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 29.3% to 51.6% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average. Additionally, Handy Middle School has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 78.8% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.
When comparing Handy Middle School to nearby schools, the performance gap is quite stark. For instance, Western Middle School, which is part of the same school district, consistently outperforms Handy Middle School across all academic measures, with significantly higher proficiency rates and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Despite the higher spending per student at Handy Middle School, ranging from $12,981 to $17,729 over the past few years, the school's academic outcomes have not improved, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review of its instructional practices and resource allocation.
Thank you for your feedback!