Shepherd Middle School

Shepherd Middle School in Shepherd, MI, is a mid-sized school serving 390 students in grades 6 through 8, and it stands out as the highest-ranked middle school in its immediate area. Part of the Shepherd Public Schools district, the school has earned a 4-star rating and ranks in the 71st percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year, placing it 260th out of 896 Michigan middle schools.

What truly sets Shepherd Middle School apart is its exceptional performance in mathematics. On the 8th-grade PSAT, 38.1% of students were proficient, beating the state average of 33.2% and far outpacing nearby schools like Mt Pleasant Middle School (37%) and Donald L Pavlik Middle School (26.2%). The contrast is even starker when compared to Merrill Middle School, where only 7.32% of students were proficient. This math strength extends to 7th grade, where 43% of students are proficient versus the 33.3% state average. The school also demonstrates remarkable efficiency, spending $13,171 per student—less than most nearby districts—while achieving better results. Notably, Shepherd excels with students from low socio-economic backgrounds (48.97% qualify for free/reduced lunch), ranking in the 78th percentile for this group.

However, there are areas of concern. The school shows a significant gender gap, with male students ranking in the 77th percentile while female students rank in the 58th percentile—a trend consistent over three years. Additionally, services for special education students are the school's weakest area, ranking in the 25th percentile (1 star) for 2025-2026, a decline from previous years. Despite these challenges, Shepherd Middle School has engineered a remarkable turnaround, jumping from the 35th percentile in 2020-2021 to its current 4-star status—a sustained improvement that makes it a clear academic standout in a region where neighboring schools like TS Nurnberger Middle School and Merrill Middle School consistently perform below state averages.