Hart Middle School

Hart Middle School is a large public school in Rochester Hills, MI, serving 999 students in grades 6-8 as part of the highly ranked Rochester Community School District, an affluent area where only about 10% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Hart is a strong academic performer, consistently beating state averages across all subjects and grade levels. Its biggest standout is 7th grade, where students recently posted the highest proficiency rates in the district—72.9% in English Language Arts and 68.7% in math, both above the district average. Eighth graders also shine on the PSAT ELA exam, with scores consistently above 85% over the past four years, indicating solid reading and writing preparation for high school. Attendance is another plus: Hart’s chronic absenteeism rate is 15.9%, notably lower than the district average (18.5%) and far below the state average (27.9%). The school also spends more per student ($14,850) than its middle school peers, which may support smaller classes or extra resources.

However, there are a few areas to watch. Sixth-grade math proficiency (54.3%) is the lowest among the district’s four main middle schools and trails the district average (60%), suggesting a possible transition challenge for incoming students. Hart also shows a dip in 8th-grade social studies scores, which have fluctuated significantly in recent years. When comparing to nearby schools, Van Hoosen Middle School generally posts higher proficiency rates in most subjects—for example, Van Hoosen’s 6th-grade math proficiency is 70.1% versus Hart’s 54.3%—even though Hart spends slightly more per student. Interestingly, Hart’s feeder high school, Stoney Creek High School, has a much higher chronic absenteeism rate (23.5%), suggesting engagement may dip after students leave Hart. Overall, Hart is a solid, high-achieving school with particular strengths in 7th grade and 8th-grade ELA, but families might want to ask about 6th-grade math support and social studies curriculum stability.