Tawas Area Middle School

Tawas Area Middle School in Tawas City, MI, serves 340 students in grades 5 through 8 and is part of the Tawas Area Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide.

This school has clear academic strengths, particularly in science, social studies, and upper-grade English language arts. In 2025-2026, 8th-grade science proficiency reached 48.8% compared to the state average of 39.2%, and 8th-grade social studies proficiency hit 59.3% versus the state's 50.3%. The school truly shines in 8th-grade PSAT ELA, where 74.4% of students met proficiency standards—nearly 10 points above the state average. This pattern suggests the school is highly effective at building literacy skills as students progress. However, mathematics remains a significant challenge. Proficiency rates in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade math all fall below state averages, and the 8th-grade PSAT math proficiency of 27.9% lags well behind the state's 33.2%. The gap between 8th-grade ELA and math proficiency is striking at 46.5 percentage points, indicating a need for targeted math support.

Compared to nearby Au GresSims Middle School, Tawas Area generally outperforms its smaller neighbor in ELA and science, despite serving more than three times as many students. For instance, 6th-grade ELA proficiency is 35.8% at Tawas versus 25.7% at Au Gres-Sims. Interestingly, Au Gres-Sims excels in 8th-grade math (40.6% vs. 27.9%) and social studies (65.6% vs. 59.3%). Tawas Area also demonstrates strong support for its low-income students—over 46% qualify for free or reduced lunch—with subgroup rankings in the 67th-77th percentile range in recent years. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 33.3% in 2020-2021 to 19.8% in 2024-2025, though it remains a concern. The school also operates efficiently, spending $12,921 per student—less than Au Gres-Sims' $13,788—while achieving better overall results.