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Holton Middle School

Q: Is Holton Middle School a good school?

Holton Middle School ranks 671 st of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

671^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 25% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Holton Middle School serves 173 students in grades 6-8 within the Holton Public Schools district, a small, predominantly low-income community in Holton, Michigan, where about 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most pressing concern for parents to know is the school's crisis-level chronic absenteeism rate. In the 2024-2025 school year, 47.4% of students were chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days)—nearly double the state average of 27.9% and dramatically higher than every nearby school. For comparison, Fremont Middle School, just 7 miles away, has a chronic absenteeism rate of only 20.0%. This absenteeism rate has more than doubled in just three years, rising from 22.1% in 2022-2023, and it closely tracks with the school's declining academic performance. Not surprisingly, proficiency rates lag 20-30 percentage points behind state averages across nearly all subjects and grade levels. For instance, only 12.2% of 7th graders are proficient in ELA compared to the 38.4% state average, and just 12.2% are proficient in 7th grade math versus the 33.3% state average.

Despite these challenges, there are some nuances worth noting. Low-income students at Holton actually perform relatively better than the school's overall ranking would suggest, placing in the 37th percentile statewide—a sign that targeted supports may be helping this subgroup. Additionally, 8th grade science scores (27.3% proficient) are closer to the state average (39.2%) than any other subject, offering a potential foundation for improvement. However, the school spends less per student ($13,632) than nearly all nearby schools despite serving the highest-poverty population in the area. The stark contrast with Fremont Middle School—which serves a similar demographic with nearly identical funding yet ranks in the 80th percentile statewide—suggests that addressing the absenteeism crisis through family engagement and community outreach would likely be the single highest-leverage strategy for turning things around.

173

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,632

Per pupil spending ?

76.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6477 Syers Rd
Holton, MI 49425-7508

(231) 821-1775

District: Holton Public Schools

Students who attend Holton Middle School usually attend:

High:

Holton High School

Feeder schools for Holton Middle School:

Elementary:

Holton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.3%

Two or more races:

6.9%

Hispanic:

4.6%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Holton Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (24% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 28% Michigan)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg25%

Michigan avg41%

671^st of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

443^rd of 625Holton 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	22.5	671 of 896	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.3	693 of 890	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.5	569 of 897	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.3	692 of 883	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	607 of 776	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.9	574 of 675	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	610 of 792	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.6	537 of 838	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.9	586 of 821	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.6	603 of 894	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	30.1	653 of 919	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.7	694 of 921	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	33.3	654 of 919	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.7	700 of 900	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.6	679 of 858	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.6	678 of 851	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.3	672 of 847	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.5	669 of 839	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	41.0	609 of 823	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	52.8	483 of 806	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	20.7	633 of 789	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.1	687 of 789	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	507 of 771	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.1	598 of 770	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	542 of 657	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.2	496 of 521	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.6	408 of 658	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	513 of 794	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	526 of 834	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.0	631 of 832	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.9	436 of 836	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.3	627 of 825	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.1	527 of 691	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	400 of 523	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	455 of 672	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	475 of 815	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	563 of 813	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.4	613 of 798	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.6	508 of 786	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	16.3	666 of 776	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	535 of 658	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.7	452 of 540	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.9	546 of 639	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.4	474 of 797	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.6	642 of 687	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.5	664 of 696	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	535 of 701	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.4	644 of 688	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	564 of 638	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	526 of 577	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	580 of 624	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	538 of 678	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)37th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)31st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science27%-12 vs state

Social Studies26%-25 vs state

English Language Arts16%-22 vs state

Math15%-18 vs state

Mathematics14%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Holton Middle School

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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 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th 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
Holton Middle School	Public	6-8	6477 Syers Rd	Holton	49425	Muskegon County	Holton Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 821-1775	173	11	16.1	76.9%	151 (87.3%)	1 (0.6%)	8 (4.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.9%)	22.5	671^st of 896 public middle schools	25.1%		20.3	693^rd of 890 public middle schools	22.1%	22	57.6	13.6		18.2	12.2		16.4	12.2		27.3		25.8	$13,632	$1,637	$11,995
Fremont Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Woodrow St	Fremont	49412	Newaygo County	Fremont Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 924-0230	456	28	16.4	57.5%	408 (89.5%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.2%)	74.4	181^st of 896 public middle schools	79.8%		70	210^th of 890 public middle schools	76.4%	29	74.6	31.7		46.1	46.6		47.4	34.8		59.9		66.2	$13,794	$1,126	$12,668
David C Outwin Middle School	Public	6-8	96 S Division St	Hesperia	49421	Oceana County	Hesperia Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 854-6475	198	10	20.4	60.1%	173 (87.4%)	2 (1.0%)	15 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.0%)	17.9	728^th of 896 public middle schools	18.8%		24.6	649^th of 890 public middle schools	27.1%	79	44.1	8.5		17.8	19.7		6.7	9.8		26.7		31.7	$15,876	$929	$14,947
ReethsPuffer Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1500 N Getty St	Muskegon	49445	Muskegon County	Reeths-Puffer Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 744-9280	479	29	16.7	50.5%	401 (83.7%)	21 (4.4%)	29 (6.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)								(n/a)			26.5	22.7		17.3	17.0		27.7		8.4		$18,077	$1,423	$16,654
Orchard View Middle School	Public, Magnet	5-9	35 S Sheridan Dr	Muskegon	49442	Muskegon County	Orchard View Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 760-1500	422	29	14.6	69.2%	213 (50.5%)	121 (28.7%)	42 (10.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.7%)	15.6	753^rd of 896 public middle schools	16.0%		19.3	704^th of 890 public middle schools	20.9%	49	40.6	9.8		15.5	15.1		8.5	10.5		28.1		26.7	$17,514	$1,689	$15,825
Whitehall Middle School	Public	6-8	401 S Elizabeth St	Whitehall	49461	Muskegon County	Whitehall District Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 893-1030	424	26	16.0	40.1%	371 (87.5%)	9 (2.1%)	24 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.0%)	54.4	367^th of 896 public middle schools	59.0%		69.4	218^th of 890 public middle schools	75.5%	149	53.7	26.9		45.7	45.6		33.8	43.4		29.3		41.4	$15,272	$873	$14,399
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School	Public	6-8	4700 Stanton Blvd	Montague	49437	Muskegon County	Montague Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 894-5617	307	19	16.3	41.4%	275 (89.6%)	3 (1.0%)	20 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	59.5	304^th of 896 public middle schools	66.1%		61	290^th of 890 public middle schools	67.4%	14	70.6	37.8		30.7	27.6		25.8	39.1		44.5		58.8	$15,584	$950	$14,633
ReethsPuffer Middle School	Public	6-8	1911 W Giles Rd	Muskegon	49445	Muskegon County	Reeths-Puffer Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 744-4721	537	30	17.9	46.4%	439 (81.8%)	20 (3.7%)	43 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.4%)	49	427^th of 896 public middle schools	52.3%		47.4	438^th of 890 public middle schools	50.8%	11	61.6	30.2			31.3			25.1		35.4		52.1	$13,891	$246	$13,646
North Muskegon Middle School	Public	6-8	1507 Mills Ave	Muskegon	49445	Muskegon County	North Muskegon Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 719-4110	206	14	14.5	23.8%	153 (74.3%)	7 (3.4%)	27 (13.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.3%)	68.3	225^th of 896 public middle schools	74.9%		76.1	166^th of 890 public middle schools	81.3%	59	78.3	39.1		43.2	32.3		43.8	45.2		31.9		66.2	$13,921	$822	$13,099
Newaygo Middle School	Public	5-8	850 76th St	Newaygo	49337	Newaygo County	Newaygo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 652-1285	472	29	16.3	63.1%	382 (80.9%)	4 (0.8%)	65 (13.8%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	32.6	580^th of 896 public middle schools	35.3%		39.3	530^th of 890 public middle schools	40.4%	50	58.7	20.2	48.1	24.8	21.3	20.4	14.4	14.8	36.1	30.9	17.6	53.6	$16,029	$1,308	$14,721

Frequently Asked Questions about Holton Middle School

What district is Holton Middle School in?

Holton Public Schools

Is Holton Middle School a good school?

Holton Middle School ranks 671^st of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Holton Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 173 students attended Holton Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Holton Middle School attend?

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

What is the racial makeup of Holton Middle School?

Students at Holton Middle School are 87% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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Schools in Holton, MI

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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.