1. Home
  2. Michigan
  3. Sault Sainte Marie
  4. Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools
  5. Sault Area Middle School
Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Sault Area Middle School

Public, Magnet Grades 5-10
369th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 896 Michigan Middle Schools
Better than 59% of Michigan middle schools
Summary

Sault Area Middle School in Sault Sainte Marie, MI, serves 498 students in grades 5 through 10 and is part of the Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools district. The school currently holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 59th percentile of Michigan middle schools, a solid improvement from a recent dip but below its peak performance from a few years ago.

The school's most notable strength is its exceptional support for special education students, ranking in the 74th percentile statewide for this group—far exceeding its overall ranking. Eighth graders also shine in English Language Arts on the PSAT, with 70.9% proficient compared to 64.8% statewide, a trend that has held steady for three years. However, this success doesn't carry into 7th grade, where only 29.9% of students are proficient in ELA on the M-Step, a full 8.5 points below the state average. Math scores are also generally below state averages across most grade levels. Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern, with a 32.4% rate that, while improved from pandemic-era highs, remains above the state's 27.9%.

There are no other schools within 20 miles for direct comparison, making state averages the primary benchmark. On a positive note, the school has successfully closed a large gender gap in performance over the past two years. Per-student spending has risen to $13,907, a substantial investment, yet outcomes remain mixed—suggesting that while resources are available, their impact isn't consistent across all subjects and grade levels. The school appears to be navigating post-pandemic recovery, with scores showing a clear upward trajectory from recent lows.

498
Students ?
16.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$13,907
Per pupil spending ?
43.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 904 Marquette Ave
       Sault Sainte Marie, MI  49783-3301

(906) 635-3839

District: Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools


Students who attend Sault Area Middle School usually attend:

High:    Sault Area High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
61.0%
American Indian:
34.3%
Hispanic:
1.4%
more
 See top rated Michigan middle schools

 Compare Sault Area Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026
Strengths
✓Above the Michigan median (59th percentile)
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school40%
District avg39%
Michigan avg41%
369th of 896
Michigan public middle schools ?
Top 41%▼ down 9 pts since 2016
From top 32% (2016) to top 41% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
330th of 625Sault Ste. Marie Area 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)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
201477.6302 of 153380.3%★★★★☆
201369.7443 of 156371.7%★★★★☆
201280.9240 of 156684.7%★★★★☆
201162.9692 of 155255.4%★★★☆☆
201058.3899 of 155242.1%★★☆☆☆
200961.3773 of 158951.4%★★★☆☆
200873.4386 of 157775.5%★★★★☆
200757.0823 of 156547.4%★★☆☆☆
200647.91022 of 154533.9%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202654.2369 of 89658.8%★★★☆☆
202552.7380 of 89057.3%★★★☆☆
202449.6402 of 89755.2%★★★☆☆
202359.2290 of 88367.2%★★★☆☆
202263.8222 of 77671.4%★★★★☆
202155.8245 of 67563.7%★★★☆☆
201973.9164 of 79279.3%★★★★☆
201865.1283 of 83866.2%★★★☆☆
201752.3330 of 82159.8%★★★☆☆
201663.5288 of 89467.8%★★★☆☆
201566.4271 of 91970.5%★★★★☆
201468.2258 of 92172.0%★★★★☆
201369.5233 of 91974.6%★★★★☆
201274.7188 of 90079.1%★★★★☆
201163.8369 of 85857.0%★★★☆☆
201064.6396 of 85153.5%★★★☆☆
200961.4421 of 84750.3%★★★☆☆
200859.6446 of 83946.8%★★☆☆☆
200757.6456 of 82344.6%★★☆☆☆
200647.7549 of 80631.9%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202649.1359 of 78954.5%★★★☆☆
202552.2331 of 78958.0%★★★☆☆
202459.4240 of 77168.9%★★★☆☆
202370.8160 of 77079.2%★★★★☆
202266.6161 of 65775.5%★★★★☆
202148.7220 of 52157.8%★★★☆☆
201975.2130 of 65880.2%★★★★☆
201866.3236 of 79470.3%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202648.9396 of 83452.5%★★★☆☆
202552.5356 of 83257.2%★★★☆☆
202442.8451 of 83646.1%★★☆☆☆
202359.8260 of 82568.5%★★★☆☆
202247.5338 of 69151.1%★★★☆☆
202143.1282 of 52346.1%★★☆☆☆
201979.071 of 67289.4%★★★★☆
201867.6210 of 81574.2%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202651.5341 of 81358.1%★★★☆☆
202545.9399 of 79850.0%★★★☆☆
202435.5511 of 78635.0%★★☆☆☆
202339.9457 of 77641.1%★★☆☆☆
202252.7277 of 65857.9%★★★☆☆
202153.0201 of 54062.8%★★★☆☆
201964.8179 of 63972.0%★★★★☆
201859.4298 of 79762.6%★★★☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202529.47 of 812.5%★★☆☆☆
202442.04 of 742.9%★★★☆☆
202347.84 of 520.0%★★★☆☆
202258.01 of 580.0%★★★★★
202141.52 of 333.3%★★★★☆
201948.83 of 425.0%★★★★☆
201859.34 of 1060.0%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202659.361 of 23674.2%★★★★☆
202574.135 of 24485.7%★★★★☆
201855.8119 of 37768.4%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202653.0285 of 68758.5%★★★☆☆
202549.3325 of 69653.3%★★★☆☆
202436.7447 of 70136.2%★★☆☆☆
202356.4250 of 68863.7%★★★☆☆
202257.7221 of 63865.4%★★★☆☆
202156.5210 of 57763.6%★★★☆☆
201972.9140 of 62477.6%★★★★☆
201858.0244 of 67864.0%★★★☆☆
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)
Middle school
Special Education (2026)74th percentile+15 vs school
White (2026)59th percentile~ school
Male (2026)58th percentile~ school
Female (2026)54th percentile-4 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile-6 vs school
Native American (2025)12th percentile-45 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?
Social Studies44%-6 vs state
Science42%+3 vs state
English Language Arts37%~ state avg
Math32%~ state avg
Mathematics26%-8 vs state

★
No ratings yet
Be the first to rate Sault Area Middle School and help other families decide.
Rate Sault Area Middle School
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
Reviews
No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.


Schools Near Sault Area Middle School

Sort
Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private





Frequently Asked Questions about Sault Area Middle School

Sault Area Middle School ranks 369th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Sault Area Middle School usually go on to attend Sault Area High School

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

Students at Sault Area Middle School are 61% White, 34% American Indian, 1% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Sault Area Middle School!



Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...


Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Middle School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sault Area Middle School!


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.

Diagnostics