Mount Clemens Middle School

Mount Clemens Middle School is a small school in Mount Clemens, MI, serving 151 students in grades 6 through 8, and is part of the Mount Clemens Community School District, which ranks in the bottom 10% of Michigan districts.

For parents, the most important thing to know is that this school faces very significant challenges. Academic proficiency on state tests is far below state averages. For example, in 6th grade English Language Arts, only 12.5% of students were proficient, compared to roughly 38% statewide. Math scores are even lower, with just over 6% of 6th and 7th graders meeting standards. A major factor is chronic absenteeism: about 64% of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent—more than double the state average of 27.9%. This means many students are simply not in class to benefit from instruction. The school also has a high student-teacher ratio of 25.8, which is higher than all nearby schools, meaning less individualized attention despite the small enrollment.

Interestingly, the school spends a substantial amount—about $15,978 per student—which is more than many higher-performing neighbors like Iroquois Middle School ($12,920) and Seneca Middle School ($12,735). Yet those schools, located within a few miles, achieve proficiency rates three to five times higher. Even when compared to Clintondale Middle School, which has similar demographics and challenges, Mount Clemens still lags in several subjects—for instance, 7th grade ELA proficiency is 10.9% versus Clintondale's 22.1%. On a positive note, the school's state ranking has ticked up slightly from the 4th percentile to the 7th percentile in recent years, suggesting small improvements, but the overall picture remains one of a school where high spending and high absenteeism have not yet translated into academic gains.