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Mancelona Middle School

Q: Is Mancelona Middle School a good school?

Mancelona Middle School ranks 423 rd of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

423^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 53% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Mancelona Middle School in Mancelona, MI, serves 242 students in grades 5 through 8 within the Mancelona Public Schools district, a small school in a rural area where about 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Despite the challenges that come with a high-poverty student body, this school shows a remarkable strength: it ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide for its low-income students, earning a 4-star rating—far better than its overall 53rd percentile ranking. This means the school is particularly effective at helping economically disadvantaged students succeed. However, there is a notable gap between boys and girls, with female students ranking in the 64th percentile while male students rank in the 39th percentile. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, which jumped to 40.1% in the 2024-2025 school year—well above the state average of 27.9% and a sharp increase from the prior year.

Academically, Mancelona shows an interesting split. Math proficiency lags behind state averages across all grades, yet 8th graders shine in other areas: in 2024-2025, 54% were proficient in Science and 62% in Social Studies, dramatically exceeding state averages. Those same 8th graders also outperformed the state on the PSAT math exam (42% vs. 30.4%). When compared to nearby schools, Mancelona significantly outperforms Kalkaska Middle School, which serves a similar demographic profile but ranks only in the 33rd percentile. While it trails the more affluent Cherryland Middle School (83rd percentile), Mancelona's success with its low-income students is noteworthy. The school also invests more per student ($16,508) than Cherryland, which may help explain its relative strengths. Key areas for improvement include reducing absenteeism, boosting math scores, and closing the gender achievement gap.

242

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,508

Per pupil spending ?

80.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

112 St Johns Ave
Mancelona, MI 49659

(231) 587-9869

District: Mancelona Public Schools

Students who attend Mancelona Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mancelona High School

Feeder schools for Mancelona Middle School:

Elementary:

Mancelona Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.2%

Hispanic:

3.7%

African American:

0.8%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Mancelona Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 71st percentile in 2023 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (34% vs 39% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 28% Michigan)

!Ranking has slipped from its 71st-percentile peak (2023) to 53rd (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg34%

Michigan avg39%

423^rd of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 20 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

262^nd of 625Mancelona 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	49.4	423 of 896	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.2	384 of 890	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.7	381 of 897	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.8	258 of 883	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	53.6	309 of 776	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.8	259 of 675	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.4	335 of 792	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.1	329 of 838	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.9	383 of 821	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	33.9	597 of 894	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.9	464 of 919	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.3	581 of 921	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.4	634 of 919	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.4	534 of 900	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.9	634 of 858	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	59.9	467 of 851	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.3	516 of 847	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.5	472 of 839	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	47.2	561 of 823	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.6	628 of 806	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	283 of 789	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.3	337 of 789	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	294 of 771	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	211 of 770	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.1	225 of 657	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.9	158 of 521	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.7	305 of 658	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	307 of 794	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	235 of 834	71.8%	★★★★☆
2025	64.3	223 of 832	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	58.2	277 of 836	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.9	142 of 825	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	175 of 691	74.7%	★★★★☆
2021	71.6	81 of 523	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	72.0	113 of 672	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	149 of 815	81.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	497 of 813	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.6	393 of 798	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	375 of 786	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.2	234 of 776	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	49.1	295 of 658	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.5	245 of 540	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.5	319 of 639	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.9	305 of 797	61.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	466 of 687	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.6	389 of 696	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	435 of 701	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.6	278 of 688	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	322 of 638	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.8	244 of 577	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.6	348 of 624	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.8	356 of 678	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)72nd percentile+19 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)39th percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science39%~ state avg

English Language Arts36%-4 vs state

Social Studies34%-5 vs state

Mathematics29%-5 vs state

Math24%-9 vs state

2.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The school staff does not put students first and does not promote a safe learning environment. They do not handle issues with bullying effectively. Students being bullied are told they are part of the problem and the bullies do not even receive any disciplinary action. The school principal is very arrogant and does not effectively do his job. Close Quote

Schools Near Mancelona 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Mancelona Middle School	Public	5-8	112 St Johns Ave	Mancelona	49659	Antrim County	Mancelona Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 587-9869	242	15	16.2	80.6%	228 (94.2%)	2 (0.8%)	9 (3.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	49.4	423^rd of 896 public middle schools	52.8%		52.2	384^th of 890 public middle schools	56.9%	39	61.2	28.6	35.7	41.7	30.0	21.4	33.3	16.7	37.1	40.8	21.4	51.0	$16,508	$2,064	$14,444
Kalkaska Middle School	Public	6-8	1700 W Kalkaska Rd	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 258-4040	307	19	16.5	55.4%	294 (95.8%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	30.5	603^rd of 896 public middle schools	32.7%		38.5	533^rd of 890 public middle schools	40.1%	70	60.4	21.7		17.6	27.6		8.1	23.0		28.8		32.7	$00	$00	$00
Cherryland Middle School	Public	6-8	707 E 3rd St	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 264-8991	277	16	17.3	22.0%	249 (89.9%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.1%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	78.5	151^st of 896 public middle schools	83.1%		80.2	135^th of 890 public middle schools	84.8%	16	73.3	50.0		51.8	48.1		39.1	44.4		52.2		61.4	$14,327	$542	$13,785

Frequently Asked Questions about Mancelona Middle School

What high school do graduates of Mancelona Middle School attend?

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

How many students attend Mancelona Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 242 students attended Mancelona Middle School.

What district is Mancelona Middle School in?

Mancelona Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Mancelona Middle School?

Students at Mancelona Middle School are 94% White, 4% Hispanic.

Is Mancelona Middle School a good school?

Mancelona Middle School ranks 423^rd of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Mancelona Middle School!

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Schools in Mancelona, 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.