Grass Lake Middle School

Grass Lake Middle School serves 290 students in grades 6-8 within the Grass Lake Community Schools district, a 4-star rated district located in the small, rural community of Grass Lake, MI.

This school stands out for its remarkable success with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite 33.1% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school ranks in the 80th percentile statewide for the academic growth of its low-income students—a figure that exceeds its overall school ranking (72nd percentile). This suggests the school is particularly effective at closing achievement gaps. Academically, Grass Lake shines in 8th-grade Social Studies (60.7% proficiency vs. 50.3% state average) and PSAT ELA (74.7% proficiency vs. 64.8% state average). When compared to schools with similar demographics, it outperforms Leslie Middle School (48.8% poverty) and Northwest Kidder Middle School (44.8% poverty) across nearly all subjects. It also holds its own against Western Middle School in ELA and Social Studies, though it trails in math.

Two areas warrant attention. First, chronic absenteeism has risen steadily from 17.1% (2022-23) to 24.3% (2024-25), now exceeding the district average of 19.3%—a trend that may explain the school's slight ranking dip. Second, math proficiency remains a challenge: only 33.1% of 6th graders and 33.7% of 8th graders are proficient, far below the 64-77% rates seen at higher-performing nearby schools like Beach Middle School and Mill Creek Middle School. On a positive note, the school achieves these results while spending less per student ($13,867) than neighbors like Onsted Middle School ($18,092), with a favorable 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio. For parents, this is a school that delivers strong "value-add" for its community, with particular strengths in literacy and social studies, though math improvement and attendance remain key focus areas.