Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Michigan rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Clare Middle School

Q: Is Clare Middle School a good school?

Clare Middle School ranks 537 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

537^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 40% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Clare Middle School serves 474 students in grades 5-8 in Clare, MI, and is part of the Clare Public Schools district, which ranks in the 60th percentile statewide.

One of the school's standout strengths is attendance. The chronic absenteeism rate has dropped dramatically from 27.3% in 2021-2022 to just 13.4% in 2024-2025—less than half the state average of 27.9% and far better than nearby schools like Gladwin Junior High School (29.0%), Mt Pleasant Middle School (28.3%), and Harrison Middle School (36.3%). The school also spends efficiently at $13,918 per student—about $3,000 less than Mt. Pleasant, Harrison, and Farwell Middle School—while maintaining a reasonable student-teacher ratio of 16.2:1. Additionally, special education students perform above the school's overall average, ranking in the 54th percentile, which points to strong support systems for these learners.

However, the school faces real challenges. Its overall state ranking has declined steadily from the 71st percentile in 2017-2018 to the 40th percentile in 2025-2026. Test scores reveal a notable dip in 6th grade ELA, where only 22.3% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 37.5%. Eighth grade science and social studies scores have also fallen below state averages after several years of outperforming them. While 5th graders exceed the state average in social studies, the downward trend in upper grades suggests students may struggle with the transition to middle school. Despite these hurdles, Clare still outperforms its closest geographic neighbor, Farwell Middle School, in every measurable category, and its relatively low rate of economic disadvantage (41.6% free/reduced lunch) compared to Harrison (79.6%) and Farwell (78.3%) indicates that demographic factors alone don't explain the decline—pointing to potential areas for instructional improvement.

474

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,918

Per pupil spending ?

41.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

209 E State St
Clare, MI 48617-1317

(989) 386-9979

District: Clare Public Schools

Students who attend Clare Middle School usually attend:

High:

Clare High School

Feeder schools for Clare Middle School:

Elementary:

Clare Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.4%

Hispanic:

5.7%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Clare Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (33% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

Michigan avg39%

537^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

252^nd of 625Clare Public Schools among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	537 of 896	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	474 of 890	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	423 of 897	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	327 of 883	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	272 of 776	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.2	210 of 675	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.5	305 of 792	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.0	244 of 838	70.9%	★★★★☆
2017	61.4	261 of 821	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.7	309 of 894	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	72.3	205 of 919	77.7%	★★★★☆
2014	68.9	248 of 921	73.1%	★★★★☆
2013	67.0	260 of 919	71.7%	★★★★☆
2012	57.3	384 of 900	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.2	262 of 858	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.0	384 of 851	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.8	285 of 847	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.9	271 of 839	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.0	276 of 823	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.8	315 of 806	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	487 of 789	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	551 of 789	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.3	406 of 771	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.4	471 of 770	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.8	272 of 657	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.1	240 of 521	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.0	287 of 658	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.8	244 of 794	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	572 of 834	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.6	528 of 832	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.0	401 of 836	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.7	275 of 825	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.7	196 of 691	71.6%	★★★★☆
2021	59.4	159 of 523	69.6%	★★★★☆
2019	52.4	292 of 672	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	235 of 815	71.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.9	540 of 813	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.1	348 of 798	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	382 of 786	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	231 of 776	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	56.2	247 of 658	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.1	151 of 540	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	51.1	271 of 639	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	217 of 797	72.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	108 of 236	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.0	128 of 244	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	78.4	19 of 199	90.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	539 of 687	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	476 of 696	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.6	403 of 701	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.1	338 of 688	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.8	297 of 638	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.9	242 of 577	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.9	316 of 624	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.2	262 of 678	61.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)54th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile~ school

Male (2026)34th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)31st percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)22nd percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science37%~ state avg

Social Studies36%-3 vs state

English Language Arts33%-6 vs state

Mathematics27%-6 vs state

Math22%-10 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Clare Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Monday, March 5, 2018

Clare Middle School is a place that reminds me of everything truly wrong with the American educational system. At first glance, it appears to be the ideal school with a helpful staff devoted to the student body. But then you really open your eyes, and discover the truth that Clare Middle school is nothing more than a school of lies, where students are bullied by staff and given punishment for trivial things while those students who commit open assault in a classroom and lunchroom get lesser punishments. You start to realize that Clare Middle School is a monolisk to how the American educational system is so broken, that even the best looking schools are really just closets opened wide for all their skeletons to see, and yet only those who would open their eyes can truly see said skeletons. Your children are not safe in this monkey gym excuse for a government facility. Close Quote

Schools Near Clare Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clare Middle School	Public	5-8	209 E State St	Clare	48617	Clare County	Clare Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 386-9979	474	29	16.2	41.6%	419 (88.4%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)	38.2	537^th of 896 public middle schools	40.1%		45	474^th of 890 public middle schools	46.7%	63	58.9	26.8		42.5	22.3	34.5		24.6	18.2	23.6	38.1	36.0	32.8	39.6	$13,918	$898	$13,020
Farwell Middle School	Public, Magnet	4-7	500 E Ohio St	Farwell	48622	Clare County	Farwell Area Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 588-9915	281	17	16.2	78.3%	259 (92.2%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	22.3	677^th of 896 public middle schools	24.4%		34.6	563^rd of 890 public middle schools	36.7%	114			19.4	16.7	20.8	25.0	13.9	11.1	12.5	18.6	19.4		8.3		$17,129	$1,320	$15,809
Harrison Middle School	Public	6-8	710 S 5th St	Harrison	48625	Clare County	Harrison Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 539-7194	279	15	18.2	79.6%	261 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)	20.5	697^th of 896 public middle schools	22.2%		27.7	621^st of 890 public middle schools	30.2%	76	45.5	351.5			24.0	13.3			20.3	20.2		18.2		23.9	$17,230	$3,876	$13,354
Mt Pleasant Middle School	Public	6-8	440 S Bradley St	Mount Pleasant	48858	Isabella County	Mt. Pleasant City School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 775-2221	666	48	13.9	44.4%	487 (73.1%)	15 (2.3%)	50 (7.5%)	10 (1.5%)	52 (7.8%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.5%)	56.4	341^st of 896 public middle schools	61.9%		54.7	352^nd of 890 public middle schools	60.4%	11	70.2	37.0			35.9	30.5			29.7	24.2		46.9		54.5	$16,786	$1,051	$15,736
Gladwin Junior High School	Public	6-8	401 N Bowery Ave	Gladwin	48624	Gladwin County	Gladwin Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 426-3808	359	17	20.5	47.4%	328 (91.4%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	44.6	470^th of 896 public middle schools	47.5%		45.4	472^nd of 890 public middle schools	47.0%	2	65.4	31.8			21.8	34.9			13.5	20.0		46.7		54.2	$12,876	$1,066	$11,810

Frequently Asked Questions about Clare Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Clare Middle School?

Students at Clare Middle School are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is Clare Middle School a good school?

Clare Middle School ranks 537^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Clare Middle School in?

Clare Public Schools

What high school do graduates of Clare Middle School attend?

Students who attend Clare Middle School usually go on to attend Clare High School

How many students attend Clare Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 474 students attended Clare Middle School.

Rate Clare Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Middle School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Clare, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Clare Middle School!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.