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Portage Central Middle School

Q: Is Portage Central Middle School a good school?

Portage Central Middle School ranks 117 th of 890 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

117^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 890 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 87% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Portage Central Middle School is a high-performing public middle school in Portage, Michigan, serving around 750 students in grades 6-8. The school consistently ranks in the top 15% of Michigan middle schools, outperforming state and district averages in academic achievement.

Portage Central Middle School's academic performance is particularly impressive, with 50.6% of 6th graders and 52.5% of 7th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.6% and 39.2% at the state level, respectively. The school also performs well across different student subgroups, with its female, male, Hispanic, and White students all ranking in the top 25% of their respective subgroups in Michigan. However, the school's performance for Asian and Special Education students is relatively lower, ranking in the bottom 50% of their subgroups.

When compared to other middle schools in the Portage Public Schools district and nearby districts, Portage Central Middle School stands out as a top performer. For example, Portage North Middle School and Portage West Middle School, also in the Portage district, have lower test scores and rankings compared to Portage Central. The school's higher per-student spending, ranging from $10,592 to $12,561 over the past few years, may contribute to its strong academic performance, though its higher chronic absenteeism rate is an area that may require further attention.

719

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,080

Per pupil spending ?

18.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8305 S Westnedge Ave
Portage, MI 49002-5437

(269) 323-5600

District: Portage Public Schools

Students who attend Portage Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Portage Central High School

Feeder schools for Portage Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Central Elementary School
	Lake Center Elementary School
	Woodland Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.0%

Two or more races:

9.0%

Hispanic:

7.6%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Portage Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2015 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Michigan middle schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg53%

Michigan avg41%

117^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Middle Schools in the Portage Public Schools

95^th of 613Portage 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
2025	82.5	117 of 890	86.9%	★★★★☆
2024	83.2	107 of 897	88.1%	★★★★☆
2023	89.6	77 of 883	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	81.0	106 of 776	86.3%	★★★★☆
2021	94.3	34 of 675	95.0%	★★★★★
2019	81.2	120 of 792	84.8%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	99 of 838	88.2%	★★★★☆
2017	79.8	118 of 821	85.6%	★★★★☆
2016	83.5	113 of 894	87.4%	★★★★☆
2015	84.0	96 of 919	89.6%	★★★★☆
2014	76.3	171 of 921	81.4%	★★★★☆
2013	76.6	163 of 919	82.3%	★★★★☆
2012	74.7	187 of 900	79.2%	★★★★☆
2011	77.7	150 of 858	82.5%	★★★★☆
2010	75.7	181 of 851	78.7%	★★★★☆
2009	82.3	93 of 847	89.0%	★★★★☆
2008	79.0	129 of 839	84.6%	★★★★☆
2007	81.4	103 of 823	87.5%	★★★★☆
2006	80.7	109 of 806	86.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	48 of 85	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	55 of 88	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.5	44 of 87	49.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	75.6	134 of 789	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	80.0	99 of 771	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	86.2	75 of 770	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	76.9	101 of 657	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	91.3	36 of 521	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	77.1	115 of 658	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	84.9	93 of 794	88.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	58 of 265	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	60.3	82 of 257	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.7	27 of 246	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	60.7	87 of 266	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	371 of 832	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.7	289 of 836	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.0	163 of 825	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	57.1	245 of 691	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.1	137 of 672	79.6%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	223 of 815	72.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	83.3	97 of 798	87.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.6	114 of 786	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	79 of 776	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	78.3	104 of 658	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	94.2	23 of 540	95.7%	★★★★★
2019	78.2	104 of 639	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	107 of 797	86.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	52.8	79 of 190	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.6	55 of 176	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.2	53 of 163	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.7	43 of 156	72.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	139 of 244	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.7	83 of 201	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.1	64 of 199	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.2	48 of 377	87.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	133 of 696	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.5	122 of 701	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.2	77 of 688	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.9	119 of 638	81.3%	★★★★☆
2021	93.6	26 of 577	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	73.4	134 of 624	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	77.4	121 of 678	82.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2025)88th percentile~ school

Female (2025)83rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)81st percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)78th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)58th percentile-28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile-31 vs school

Asian (2025)44th percentile-43 vs school

Special Education (2025)43rd percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies63%+16 vs state

Math52%+19 vs state

English Language Arts52%+13 vs state

Science48%+7 vs state

Mathematics46%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Portage Central Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)		M-Step Math (2025)		M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Portage Central Middle School	Public	6-8	8305 S Westnedge Ave	Portage	49002	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-5600	719	41	17.3	18.9%	532 (74.0%)	30 (4.2%)	55 (7.6%)	37 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.0%)	82.5	117^th of 890 public middle schools	86.9%		83.2	107^th of 897 public middle schools	88.1%	10	77.0	45.8	50.6	52.5	51.1	52.5	48.1	62.7	$12,080	$570	$11,510
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%)	87.5	90^th of 890 public middle schools	89.9%		86.7	92^nd of 897 public middle schools	89.7%	2	80.2	50.6	58.3	57.0	58.7	51.3	50.2	67.5	$13,214	$571	$12,643
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%)	58.2	316^th of 890 public middle schools	64.5%		51.4	384^th of 897 public middle schools	57.2%	68	73.0	33.5	38.3	38.5	35.2	29.1	41.8	44.7	$15,738	$727	$15,012
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%)	34.6	562^nd of 890 public middle schools	36.9%		23.5	677^th of 897 public middle schools	24.5%	115	53.0	15.1	34.3	31.2	20.7	23.7	32.3	34.5	$17,235	$1,490	$15,745
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%)	46	459^th of 890 public middle schools	48.4%		47.3	441^st of 897 public middle schools	50.8%	18	59.1	27.4	33.0	35.7	26.5	26.2	38.5	41.9	$15,841	$1,481	$14,360
Vicksburg Middle School	Public	6-8	348 E Prairie St	Vicksburg	49097	Kalamazoo County	Vicksburg Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 321-1300	601	35	17.2	32.1%	527 (87.7%)	12 (2.0%)	27 (4.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	72.3	193^rd of 890 public middle schools	78.3%		64.2	252^nd of 897 public middle schools	71.9%	59	75.5	36.0	49.0	42.8	39.1	46.9	50.0	51.0	$14,079	$385	$13,694
Linden Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	4241 Arboretum Pkwy	Kalamazoo	49006	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%)	46.2	456^th of 890 public middle schools	48.8%		44.2	468^th of 897 public middle schools	47.8%	12	54.6	31.3	34.1	36.2	23.8	26.8	37.4	45.2	$17,064	$1,503	$15,562
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%)	30	601^st of 890 public middle schools	32.5%		33.8	579^th of 897 public middle schools	35.5%	22	45.6	14.6	28.4	24.8	23.7	28.3	29.7	29.9	$18,808	$1,549	$17,259
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%)	12.9	781^st of 890 public middle schools	12.2%		10.2	821^st of 897 public middle schools	8.5%	40	40.0	3.5	15.1	18.8	7.0	12.5	16.5	24.2	$28,682	$2,449	$26,233
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%)	29.1	608^th of 890 public middle schools	31.7%		27.3	634^th of 897 public middle schools	29.3%	26	62.6	16.2	25.6	19.8	10.8	10.3	38.0	38.0	$16,225	$1,889	$14,337

Frequently Asked Questions about Portage Central Middle School

How many students attend Portage Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 719 students attended Portage Central Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Portage Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend Portage Central Middle School usually go on to attend Portage Central High School

What district is Portage Central Middle School in?

Portage Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Portage Central Middle School?

Students at Portage Central Middle School are 74% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% African American.

Is Portage Central Middle School a good school?

Portage Central Middle School ranks 117^th of 890 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Portage Central Middle School!

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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.