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Paw Paw Middle School

Q: Is Paw Paw Middle School a good school?

Paw Paw Middle School ranks 379 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

379^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 58% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Paw Paw Middle School in Paw Paw, MI, serves 498 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Paw Paw Public School District, a mid-sized district in a small-town setting in southwestern Michigan.

The most encouraging news for parents is that Paw Paw Middle School has shown a dramatic academic rebound. After a challenging 2024-2025 school year, the school jumped from the 43rd to the 58th percentile statewide in just one year. This improvement is visible across nearly every subject and grade level—for example, 6th-grade reading proficiency climbed from 27.6% to 44%, and 6th-grade math went from 18.4% to 32.7%. That said, there is one notable weak spot: 7th-grade reading. Only 25.5% of 7th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, a sharp drop from the 44% proficiency those same students showed as 6th graders. This dip is unusual—nearby Mattawan Middle School shows a more typical pattern where 7th-grade scores are higher than 6th-grade scores. The good news is that by 8th grade, Paw Paw students catch up and even excel: 72.5% of 8th graders were proficient on the PSAT reading test, well above the state average of 64.8%.

Parents should also know that Paw Paw Middle School shows a clear strength in supporting students with special needs, ranking in the 61st percentile statewide for that subgroup—better than its overall ranking. The school also compares favorably to nearby Lawton Middle School on college-readiness benchmarks, despite having a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students. One ongoing concern is chronic absenteeism: at 26.2%, it's higher than the district average of 23.2%, which may contribute to some of the year-to-year swings in test scores. Overall, Paw Paw sits in the middle of the pack locally—behind top performers like Portage West Middle School and Mattawan, but ahead of Bangor Middle School and Hartford Middle School. Its recent upward trend suggests momentum worth watching.

498

Students ?

17.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,697

Per pupil spending ?

37.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

313 W Michigan Ave
Paw Paw, MI 49079-1053

(269) 415-5500

District: Paw Paw Public School District

Students who attend Paw Paw Middle School usually attend:

High:

Paw Paw High School

Feeder schools for Paw Paw Middle School:

Elementary:	Paw Paw Early Elementary School
	Paw Paw Later Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.5%

Hispanic:

11.6%

Two or more races:

4.4%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Paw Paw Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Michigan median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Michigan avg41%

379^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

256^th of 625Paw Paw Public School District 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	53.0	379 of 896	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.9	509 of 890	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	447 of 897	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.6	475 of 883	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	344 of 776	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.1	220 of 675	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.5	246 of 792	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	379 of 838	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.3	371 of 821	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	47.2	463 of 894	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	56.2	378 of 919	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.5	398 of 921	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.0	344 of 919	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.4	417 of 900	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.1	343 of 858	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.8	270 of 851	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.9	284 of 847	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.4	357 of 839	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.9	324 of 823	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.4	305 of 806	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	340 of 789	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.7	488 of 789	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.3	372 of 771	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	338 of 770	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	278 of 657	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.9	165 of 521	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	254 of 658	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.1	424 of 794	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	174 of 260	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.8	220 of 265	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.1	115 of 257	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.3	162 of 246	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.4	32 of 138	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	61.9	83 of 266	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	408 of 834	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.3	564 of 832	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	435 of 836	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	524 of 825	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.9	445 of 691	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.4	309 of 523	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.7	299 of 672	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	337 of 815	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	377 of 813	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.2	465 of 798	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	471 of 786	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	538 of 776	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.4	361 of 658	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.7	206 of 540	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	214 of 639	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.7	280 of 797	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	92 of 236	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.3	66 of 201	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.5	216 of 377	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	366 of 687	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.2	485 of 696	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	421 of 701	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	449 of 688	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	349 of 638	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.3	212 of 577	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.7	268 of 624	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.3	400 of 678	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)61st percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile~ school

Male (2026)54th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)47th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies51%~ state avg

Science40%~ state avg

English Language Arts35%-3 vs state

Mathematics30%-3 vs state

Math27%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Paw Paw 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
Paw Paw Middle School	Public	6-8	313 W Michigan Ave	Paw Paw	49079	Van Buren County	Paw Paw Public School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 415-5500	498	28	17.9	37.6%	411 (82.5%)	3 (0.6%)	58 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.4%)	53	379^th of 896 public middle schools	57.7%		41.9	509^th of 890 public middle schools	42.8%	130	72.5	30.1		44.0	25.5		32.7	21.7		40.1		50.7	$13,697	$928	$12,769
Lawton Middle School	Public	5-8	100 Blue Pride Dr	Lawton	49065	Van Buren County	Lawton Community School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 624-7600	325	19	17.3	61.2%	257 (79.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (14.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.2%)	55.5	355^th of 896 public middle schools	60.4%		48.7	424^th of 890 public middle schools	52.4%	69	60.5	35.8	51.2	42.9	36.8	48.8	29.8	28.9	39.3	40.7	35.7	48.1	$00	$00	$00
Mattawan Middle School	Public	6-8	56720 Murray St	Mattawan	49071	Van Buren County	Mattawan Consolidated School	No	No	No	No	(269) 668-3361	823	50	16.3	26.9%	708 (86.0%)	9 (1.1%)	55 (6.7%)	14 (1.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.1%)	81.5	131^st of 896 public middle schools	85.4%		82.6	116^th of 890 public middle schools	87.0%	15	78.0	53.7		41.6	56.6		50.6	49.6		52.8		55.6	$13,132	$542	$12,590
Bangor Middle School	Public	5-8	803 W Arlington St	Bangor	49013	Van Buren County	Bangor Public Schools (Van Buren)	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 427-6800	272	20	13.3	65.4%	131 (48.2%)	12 (4.4%)	111 (40.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	22.5	673^rd of 896 public middle schools	24.9%		22.4	671^st of 890 public middle schools	24.6%	2	55.4	15.4	18.5	11.3	19.4	7.7	6.5	11.3	15.4	29.2	10.8	36.9	$18,282	$2,035	$16,247
Hartford Middle School	Public	6-8	141 School St	Hartford	49057	Van Buren County	Hartford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 621-7200	321	15	21.4	80.7%	120 (37.4%)	5 (1.6%)	190 (59.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	17.3	734^th of 896 public middle schools	18.1%		16.4	734^th of 890 public middle schools	17.5%		37.5	12.5		13.0	22.8		11.8	9.8		16.7		37.9	$13,260	$1,295	$11,965
Marcellus Middle School	Public	6-8	125 Burney St	Marcellus	49067	Cass County	Marcellus Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 646-3158	136	6	23.4	58.1%	118 (86.8%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (8.1%)	50.1	412^th of 896 public middle schools	54.0%		73	189^th of 890 public middle schools	78.8%	223	56.9	32.8		26.5	50.0		24.5	36.1		39.7		43.1	$11,793	$1,089	$10,705
Portage West Middle School	Public	6-8	7145 Moors Bridge Rd	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-5800	717	39	18.3	17.4%	465 (64.9%)	49 (6.8%)	62 (8.6%)	79 (11.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (8.5%)	88.7	79^th of 896 public middle schools	91.2%		87.5	90^th of 890 public middle schools	89.9%	11	83.5	57.6		56.5	63.0		54.3	48.7		51.7		68.5	$13,214	$571	$12,643
Linden Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	4241 Arboretum Pkwy	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-1740	727	38	18.9	62.7%	232 (31.9%)	305 (42.0%)	73 (10.0%)	14 (1.9%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	95 (13.1%)	41.4	502^nd of 896 public middle schools	44.0%		46.2	456^th of 890 public middle schools	48.8%	46	55.2	22.5		35.6	35.2		19.8	25.3		38.8		38.4	$17,064	$1,503	$15,562
Portage North Middle School	Public	6-8	1100 W Milham Ave	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-5700	609	38	16.1	33.8%	371 (60.9%)	69 (11.3%)	62 (10.2%)	34 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (12.0%)	62.9	270^th of 896 public middle schools	69.9%		58.2	316^th of 890 public middle schools	64.5%	46	74.6	37.3		39.5	34.5		36.3	32.0		47.6		52.9	$15,738	$727	$15,012
Hillside Middle School	Public	6-8	1941 Alamo Ave	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0570	476	28	17.3	60.1%	173 (36.3%)	209 (43.9%)	20 (4.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	70 (14.7%)	41.3	504^th of 896 public middle schools	43.8%		30	601^st of 890 public middle schools	32.5%	97	53.3	24.1		35.1	24.7		25.8	25.3		38.7		46.0	$18,808	$1,549	$17,259

Frequently Asked Questions about Paw Paw Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Paw Paw Middle School?

Students at Paw Paw Middle School are 83% White, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Paw Paw Middle School in?

Paw Paw Public School District

What high school do graduates of Paw Paw Middle School attend?

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

Is Paw Paw Middle School a good school?

Paw Paw Middle School ranks 379^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paw Paw Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 498 students attended Paw Paw Middle School.

Rate Paw Paw Middle School!

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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.