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Plainwell Middle School

Q: Is Plainwell Middle School a good school?

Plainwell Middle School ranks 366 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

366^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 59% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Plainwell Middle School serves 569 students in grades 6-8 within the Plainwell Community Schools district, a mid-sized district in southwestern Michigan that has earned a 3-star rating from the state. The school itself has maintained a steady 3-star rating over the past four years, placing it in the 59th-61st percentile statewide—a solid, middle-of-the-pack performance that represents a shift from its earlier 4-star status between 2015 and 2019.

Where Plainwell truly shines is in 8th-grade content areas. In the most recent school year, 44.2% of 8th graders were proficient in Science and 53.3% in Social Studies—both figures exceeding state averages and outpacing nearby Otsego Middle School. The school also posts strong PSAT English Language Arts results, with 71.8% of 8th graders proficient compared to the state's 64.8%. Perhaps most notably, Hispanic students at Plainwell rank in the 89th percentile statewide—an exceptional result that stands out as a model of effective instruction. However, math remains a clear area of concern: proficiency rates in 6th and 7th grade (23.5% and 28.9%) fall well below state averages, and 8th-grade PSAT math (32.8%) barely misses the state mark. Chronic absenteeism, hovering around 25%, is another challenge the school continues to address.

When compared to regional peers, Plainwell holds its own. It outperforms most Kalamazoo Public Schools middle schools, which face higher poverty rates and absenteeism challenges. Against Gull Lake Middle School—the area's academic leader at the 81st-85th percentile—Plainwell trails in most subjects, though it remains competitive. Interestingly, Plainwell achieves these results while spending less per student ($13,421) than nearby districts like Otsego ($15,956) or Allegan ($17,026), suggesting efficient resource use. For parents, the takeaway is a school with genuine strengths in literacy and content-area learning, a proven ability to support diverse learners, and clear opportunities for growth in math and attendance.

569

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,421

Per pupil spending ?

32.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

720 Brigham St
Plainwell, MI 49080-1574

(269) 685-5813

District: Plainwell Community Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.6%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Hispanic:

4.7%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Plainwell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 77th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Michigan avg41%

366^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

265^th of 625Plainwell Community 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	54.5	366 of 896	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.8	350 of 890	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	348 of 897	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.1	342 of 883	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.8	274 of 776	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	311 of 675	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.9	234 of 792	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	233 of 838	72.2%	★★★★☆
2017	69.7	186 of 821	77.3%	★★★★☆
2016	71.7	210 of 894	76.5%	★★★★☆
2015	80.2	135 of 919	85.3%	★★★★☆
2014	74.9	186 of 921	79.8%	★★★★☆
2013	71.9	215 of 919	76.6%	★★★★☆
2012	75.3	179 of 900	80.1%	★★★★☆
2011	65.0	344 of 858	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	73.7	206 of 851	75.8%	★★★★☆
2009	69.1	294 of 847	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	73.8	202 of 839	75.9%	★★★★☆
2007	73.9	203 of 823	75.3%	★★★★☆
2006	74.9	187 of 806	76.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	395 of 789	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.5	293 of 789	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	263 of 771	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	321 of 770	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	288 of 657	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.0	217 of 521	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.5	197 of 658	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	204 of 794	74.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	71.4	59 of 265	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	27 of 257	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	50 of 246	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	57.3	96 of 266	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	37.3	509 of 834	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	410 of 832	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	445 of 836	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.8	479 of 825	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	380 of 691	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	327 of 523	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.4	259 of 672	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.1	257 of 815	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.0	304 of 813	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.6	394 of 798	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	432 of 786	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.9	351 of 776	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	249 of 658	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.5	329 of 540	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.9	240 of 639	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.5	228 of 797	71.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	68 of 195	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.4	110 of 176	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	53.5	79 of 236	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	70 of 244	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	34.4	126 of 201	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	74.5	46 of 377	87.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	389 of 687	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.7	379 of 696	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	395 of 701	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	363 of 688	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.5	298 of 638	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.5	327 of 577	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	276 of 624	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	274 of 678	59.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)78th percentile+17 vs school

Special Education (2026)67th percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)65th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies53%+3 vs state

Science44%+5 vs state

English Language Arts35%-3 vs state

Mathematics33%~ state avg

Math26%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Plainwell 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 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Plainwell Middle School	Public	6-8	720 Brigham St	Plainwell	49080	Allegan County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 685-5813	569	33	17.4	32.3%	504 (88.6%)	6 (1.1%)	27 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.1%)	54.5	366^th of 896 public middle schools	59.2%		54.8	350^th of 890 public middle schools	60.7%	16	71.8	32.8	31.2	38.7	23.5	28.9	44.2	53.3	$13,421	$610	$12,810
Otsego Middle School	Public	6-8	540 Washington St	Otsego	49078	Allegan County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 694-7500	542	32	16.8	37.5%	475 (87.6%)	8 (1.5%)	23 (4.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.7%)	51.2	405^th of 896 public middle schools	54.8%		61.4	286^th of 890 public middle schools	67.9%	119	68.4	30.5	33.2	23.8	35.9	26.5	40.9	49.4	$15,956	$20	$15,935
Parchment Middle School	Public	6-8	307 N Riverview Dr	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	No	(269) 488-1200	352	21	16.9	49.7%	237 (67.3%)	41 (11.6%)	25 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (13.6%)	29.3	618^th of 896 public middle schools	31.0%		29.1	608^th of 890 public middle schools	31.7%	10	59.3	17.6	29.4	26.4	9.2	13.9	28.0	37.7	$16,225	$1,889	$14,337
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
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
Comstock Middle School	Public	6-8	3100 N 26th St	Kalamazoo	49048	Kalamazoo County	Comstock Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 250-8600	276	17	15.9	66.3%	134 (48.6%)	73 (26.4%)	29 (10.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (13.8%)	18.1	726^th of 896 public middle schools	19.0%		12.9	781^st of 890 public middle schools	12.2%	55	47.9	9.9	6.6	16.7	1555.5	6.4	29.6	34.8	$28,682	$2,449	$26,233
Gull Lake Middle School	Public	6-8	9550 M 89	Richland	49083	Kalamazoo County	Gull Lake Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 548-3605	717	42	17.1	33.6%	579 (80.8%)	26 (3.6%)	48 (6.7%)	11 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.4%)	76.1	167^th of 896 public middle schools	81.4%		77.5	154^th of 890 public middle schools	82.7%	13	78.1	36.2	50.2	47.3	43.8	36.3	53.3	65.6	$12,612	$323	$12,289
Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-8	922 W Maple St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(269) 337-0730	889	46	19.3	60.4%	350 (39.4%)	278 (31.3%)	138 (15.5%)	7 (0.8%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	106 (11.9%)	44.8	467^th of 896 public middle schools	47.9%		46	459^th of 890 public middle schools	48.4%	8	51.5	28.5	34.0	38.0	23.7	28.7	37.0	42.9	$15,841	$1,481	$14,360
LE White Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 115th Ave	Allegan	49010	Allegan County	Allegan Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 673-2241	427	27	15.8	65.8%	361 (84.5%)	11 (2.6%)	28 (6.6%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	42.7	491^st of 896 public middle schools	45.2%		46.3	454^th of 890 public middle schools	49.0%	37	67.9	25.0	29.9	27.4	17.1	19.2	39.0	50.0	$17,026	$538	$16,488
Milwood Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2916 Konkle St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(269) 337-0670	731	38	19.3	66.1%	287 (39.3%)	217 (29.7%)	114 (15.6%)	17 (2.3%)	10 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	84 (11.5%)	31.4	589^th of 896 public middle schools	34.3%		34.6	562^nd of 890 public middle schools	36.9%	27	44.7	18.2	24.2	33.9	20.4	21.5	29.6	38.2	$17,235	$1,490	$15,745

Frequently Asked Questions about Plainwell Middle School

Is Plainwell Middle School a good school?

Plainwell Middle School ranks 366^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Plainwell Middle School in?

Plainwell Community Schools

How many students attend Plainwell Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 569 students attended Plainwell Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Plainwell Middle School?

Students at Plainwell Middle School are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 1% African American.

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MIMichigan Middle School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Plainwell, 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.