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South Lake Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

735^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 18% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

South Lake Middle School in Saint Clair Shores, MI, serves 309 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the South Lake Schools district, which currently holds a 1-star rating.

For parents considering this school, the most important thing to know is that academic performance is significantly below state averages, particularly in math. In the most recent school year, only 5.8% of 7th graders and 17.5% of 6th graders were proficient in math, compared to state averages of 33.3% and 31.9%. English Language Arts scores are stronger but still lag, with proficiency rates ranging from 16.5% to 23.5% versus state averages around 38%. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism—36.4% of students miss significant school time, well above the state average of 27.9%. However, there are positive signs: the school's overall ranking has improved from the 9th percentile to the 18th percentile in a single year, and chronic absenteeism has been cut nearly in half from its pandemic-era peak. With nearly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income population.

Context from nearby schools is helpful. Just 2.6 miles away, Jefferson Middle School in the Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb) district achieves a 4-star rating with 77.4% PSAT ELA proficiency, despite having a similar socioeconomic profile (48.5% free/reduced lunch). Even more striking, Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Public Schools, just 3.5 miles away, has 91% of 8th graders proficient in ELA. South Lake spends $15,876 per student—comparable to or higher than these better-performing schools—suggesting the challenge lies in how resources are used rather than a lack of funding. While the school faces real obstacles, its recent upward trajectory and reduced absenteeism suggest that current interventions may be starting to take hold.

309

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,876

Per pupil spending ?

59.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

21621 California St
Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080-1879

(586) 435-1301

District: South Lake Schools

Students who attend South Lake Middle School usually attend:

High:

South Lake High School

Feeder schools for South Lake Middle School:

Elementary:	Avalon Elementary School
	Elmwood Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

63.1%

White:

21.7%

Two or more races:

10.0%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare South Lake Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 3rd percentile in 2022 → 18th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 18th (2026) from a 3rd-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (20% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg20%

Michigan avg41%

735^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

513^th of 625South Lake 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	17.3	735 of 896	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	806 of 890	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	804 of 897	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	801 of 883	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.3	754 of 776	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.1	646 of 675	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.1	664 of 792	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	651 of 838	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.2	599 of 821	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.1	646 of 894	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.7	599 of 919	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	29.2	692 of 921	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	39.2	596 of 919	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.1	512 of 900	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.2	473 of 858	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	66.7	351 of 851	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.2	355 of 847	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.5	356 of 839	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.2	383 of 823	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.8	454 of 806	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	275 of 337	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.1	311 of 338	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	224 of 300	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	232 of 310	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.7	163 of 182	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.3	72 of 77	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.0	145 of 196	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.4	171 of 366	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	14.8	686 of 789	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.4	717 of 789	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.7	736 of 771	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	725 of 770	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.1	652 of 657	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	559 of 658	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.0	600 of 794	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	723 of 834	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	786 of 832	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	746 of 836	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	766 of 825	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.3	667 of 691	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.7	498 of 523	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.1	590 of 672	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	598 of 815	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	705 of 813	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.8	741 of 798	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	673 of 786	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	719 of 776	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.9	631 of 658	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	478 of 540	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.2	579 of 639	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.0	608 of 797	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	18.4	132 of 156	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	49.1	315 of 687	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	25.2	540 of 696	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	551 of 701	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	621 of 688	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	425 of 624	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	430 of 678	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)54th percentile+36 vs school

African American (2026)18th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2018)15th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies28%-23 vs state

English Language Arts20%-18 vs state

Mathematics14%-19 vs state

Science13%-26 vs state

Math11%-21 vs state

4.4

10 ratings · 8 written reviews

5★7

4★2

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 27, 2018

We love South Lake Middle School. It is a smaller middle school with alot of advantages. Great teachers, responsive principal and individual learning for each student. Parents are involved and there is something for everyone! Close Quote

by a teacher
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

teachers and staff are invested in students achievement Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Great school district! Staff is incredibly passionate and works hard to make sure that students are ready to succeed. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Teachers are caring and knowledgeable. There are so many activities for students to get involved in like Student Government, Choir, Band, Game Club, Student Action Team, Cooking Classes for families! Close Quote

by a teacher
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

We have an amazing and dedicated staff that goes above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The teachers really care about the students. Close Quote

by a teacher
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Teachers work very hard to help the students in every way possible. Some students are fantastic, some are a little more rough. It is very similar to other schools. The diversity in the building is inspiring and watching kids from all different backgrounds work together is great to observe. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Teachers are kind, loving, and knowledgeable. Couldn't ask for a better support system for my child. Close Quote

Schools Near South Lake 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 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Lake Middle School	Public	6-8	21621 California St	Saint Clair Shores	48080	Macomb County	South Lake Schools	No	No	No	No	(586) 435-1301	309	17	17.7	59.9%	67 (21.7%)	195 (63.1%)	11 (3.6%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.0%)	17.3	735^th of 896 public middle schools	18.0%		10.8	806^th of 890 public middle schools	9.4%	71	45.1	14.3			23.5	16.5			17.5	5.8		13.2		27.5	$15,876	$1,044	$14,832
Harper Woods Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	19800 Anita St	Harper Woods	48225	Wayne County	Harper Woods The School District of the City of	No	Yes	No	Yes	(586) 343-1830	353	16	22.0	86.1%	10 (2.8%)	332 (94.1%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	9.6	827^th of 896 public middle schools	7.7%		6.5	859^th of 890 public middle schools	3.5%	32	28.6	7.1			11.9	12.5			1563.1	4.8		13.5		27.0	$17,988	$1,260	$16,727
Parcells Middle School	Public	5-8	20600 Mack Ave	Grosse Pointe Woods	48236	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4600	671	40	16.8	24.0%	397 (59.2%)	201 (30.0%)	25 (3.7%)	8 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (5.5%)	72	204^th of 896 public middle schools	77.2%		73.7	184^th of 890 public middle schools	79.3%	20	75.6	40.0		50.6	47.4	50.3		38.1	39.6	43.3	51.4	38.0	41.3	57.5	$18,986	$629	$18,357
Eastpointe Middle School	Public	6-7	24701 Kelly Rd	Eastpointe	48021	Macomb County	Eastpointe Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 533-3600	295	16	18.4	92.9%	22 (7.5%)	247 (83.7%)	10 (3.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	7.7	858^th of 896 public middle schools	4.2%		5.6	868^th of 890 public middle schools	2.5%	10					7.7	12.1			1552.5	4.7					$18,320	$3,017	$15,303
Chandler Park Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	20100 Kelly Rd	Harper Woods	48225	Wayne County	Chandler Park Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 905-5030	514	29	17.9	91.6%	0 (0.0%)	513 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11.8	806^th of 896 public middle schools	10.0%		7.5	849^th of 890 public middle schools	4.6%	43	39.1	6.2			14.5	16.7			4.6	9.1		14.2		25.9	$12,298	$1,255	$11,043
Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	27900 Rockwood St	Saint Clair Shores	48081	Macomb County	Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb)	No	No	No	No	(586) 445-4130	990	51	19.2	48.5%	658 (66.5%)	174 (17.6%)	45 (4.5%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	105 (10.6%)	68	228^th of 896 public middle schools	74.6%		69.4	216^th of 890 public middle schools	75.7%	12	77.4	33.5			39.2	42.3			39.2	38.3		44.7		60.6	$15,083	$721	$14,362
Brownell Middle School	Public	5-8	260 Chalfonte Ave	Grosse Pointe Farms	48236	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-3900	605	34	17.7	8.4%	500 (82.6%)	44 (7.3%)	16 (2.6%)	13 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.1%)	93.9	45^th of 896 public middle schools	95.0%		92.7	51^st of 890 public middle schools	94.3%	6	91.1	63.0		67.7	56.2	61.1		54.5	62.5	63.1	55.1	58.1	47.3	81.6	$17,672	$735	$16,937
Roseville Middle School	Public	6-8	16250 Martin Rd	Roseville	48066	Macomb County	Roseville Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 445-5600	620	33	19.0	72.3%	247 (39.8%)	296 (47.7%)	11 (1.8%)	8 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.9%)	10.6	817^th of 896 public middle schools	8.8%		12	790^th of 890 public middle schools	11.2%	27	37.4	5.5			15.3	13.7			7.1	4.8		14.4		23.5	$16,039	$1,020	$15,019
Eastland Middle School	Public	6-8	18700 Frank St	Roseville	48066	Macomb County	Roseville Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 445-5700	310	17	18.4	75.8%	113 (36.5%)	154 (49.7%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.1%)	21.6	684^th of 896 public middle schools	23.7%		23.1	663^rd of 890 public middle schools	25.5%	21	57.4	12.0			17.9	23.9			8.6	9.2		24.1		31.8	$15,507	$987	$14,520
J E Clark Preparatory Academy	Public	4-8	15755 Bremen St	Detroit	48224	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 417-9340	125	11	11.3	92.8%	2 (1.6%)	123 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			1363.3	1465.3	1576.9	38.9	1366.6	1464.7	1569.3	1667.9	1468.6		1466.7		$29,115	$2,488	$26,626

Frequently Asked Questions about South Lake Middle School

What district is South Lake Middle School in?

South Lake Schools

Is South Lake Middle School a good school?

South Lake Middle School ranks in the bottom 18.0% of Michigan middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of South Lake Middle School?

Students at South Lake Middle School are 63% African American, 22% White, 10% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of South Lake Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Lake Middle School usually go on to attend South Lake High School

How many students attend South Lake Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 309 students attended South Lake Middle School.

Rate South Lake Middle School!

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Schools in Saint Clair Shores, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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.