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West Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
150th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 896 Michigan Middle Schools
Better than 83% of Michigan middle schools
Summary

West Middle School in Traverse City, MI, is a large public school serving 1,081 students in grades 6-8 within the Traverse City Area Public Schools district. It has earned a 4-star rating in nine of the last ten years and currently ranks in the 83rd percentile statewide, making it a consistently high-performing option for families in the area.

One of the school's standout features is its exceptional student attendance. Only 7.3% of students are chronically absent, which is dramatically lower than the district average of 18.6% and the state average of 27.9%. This strong attendance record suggests a positive school culture and engaged families. Academically, West Middle School outperforms the state average in every subject and grade level tested, often by 10 to 15 percentage points. For example, 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency is 77.5%, and 8th-grade social studies proficiency is 59.9%. The school also does particularly well supporting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with this group ranking in the 73rd percentile statewide. Notably, West Middle School achieves these results while spending slightly less per student than its district sibling, East Middle School, indicating strong financial efficiency.

While West Middle School is a strong choice overall, there are areas for improvement. Special education students rank in the 18th percentile statewide, a trend that has persisted for several years and suggests the school's support systems for this group may need attention. Additionally, nearby Kingsley Area Middle School posts notably higher 7th-grade math proficiency (60.5% vs. 47.5%), even though Kingsley serves a higher-poverty population. This could be worth investigating as a potential model for strengthening math instruction. For parents considering West Middle School, the picture is largely positive: excellent attendance, consistent academic performance, and strong outcomes for economically disadvantaged students, with the caveat that special education services may warrant a closer look.

1,081
Students ?
20.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$14,178
Per pupil spending ?
27.6%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3950 Silver Lake Rd
       Traverse City, MI  49684-8946

(231) 933-8200

District: Traverse City Area Public Schools


Students who attend West Middle School usually attend:

High:    Traverse City High School
    West Senior High

Feeder schools for West Middle School:

Elementary:    Long Lake Elementary School
    Silver Lake Elementary School
    Westwoods Elementary School
    Willow Hill Elementary School
Racial breakdown:

White:
91.1%
Hispanic:
2.7%
Asian:
2.2%
more
 See top rated Michigan middle schools

 Compare West Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Michigan average (53% vs 41% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 17% of Michigan middle schools
✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school53%
District avg55%
Michigan avg41%
150th of 896
Michigan public middle schools ?
Top 17%▲ up 11 pts since 2016
From top 28% (2016) to top 17% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 2Middle Schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools
146th of 625Traverse City Area Public 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202678.5150 of 89683.3%★★★★☆
202576.6158 of 89082.2%★★★★☆
202480.4124 of 89786.2%★★★★☆
202379.3138 of 88384.4%★★★★☆
202279.8116 of 77685.1%★★★★☆
202169.1158 of 67576.6%★★★★☆
201972.7174 of 79278.0%★★★★☆
201878.4159 of 83881.0%★★★★☆
201762.5255 of 82168.9%★★★☆☆
201667.7247 of 89472.4%★★★★☆
201566.1280 of 91969.5%★★★☆☆
201458.7379 of 92158.8%★★★☆☆
201356.6383 of 91958.3%★★★☆☆
201260.3342 of 90062.0%★★★☆☆
201173.3211 of 85875.4%★★★★☆
201077.8150 of 85182.4%★★★★☆
200977.6147 of 84782.6%★★★★☆
200878.4141 of 83983.2%★★★★☆
200781.993 of 82388.7%★★★★☆
200682.589 of 80689.0%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202522.170 of 8517.6%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202674.0141 of 78982.1%★★★★☆
202569.2178 of 78977.4%★★★★☆
202477.2113 of 77185.3%★★★★☆
202377.7115 of 77085.1%★★★★☆
202278.989 of 65786.5%★★★★☆
202162.5141 of 52172.9%★★★★☆
201965.1194 of 65870.5%★★★★☆
201877.2152 of 79480.9%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202648.9127 of 26051.2%★★★☆☆
202476.944 of 25782.9%★★★★☆
202356.3101 of 24658.9%★★★☆☆
201847.0135 of 26649.2%★★★☆☆

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
201868.56 of 1968.4%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202663.9227 of 83472.8%★★★★☆
202565.1208 of 83275.0%★★★★☆
202468.9179 of 83678.6%★★★★☆
202364.0211 of 82574.4%★★★★☆
202263.5177 of 69174.4%★★★★☆
202160.8153 of 52370.7%★★★★☆
201968.4144 of 67278.6%★★★★☆
201872.1155 of 81581.0%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202677.3139 of 81382.9%★★★★☆
202576.9141 of 79882.3%★★★★☆
202477.2132 of 78683.2%★★★★☆
202373.7145 of 77681.3%★★★★☆
202274.2122 of 65881.5%★★★★☆
202165.2140 of 54074.1%★★★★☆
201972.5133 of 63979.2%★★★★☆
201875.0161 of 79779.8%★★★★☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202462.858 of 17667.0%★★★☆☆
202356.262 of 16362.0%★★★☆☆
201837.691 of 15641.7%★★☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202626.4193 of 23618.2%★☆☆☆☆
202528.1191 of 24421.7%★☆☆☆☆
202420.4176 of 20112.4%★☆☆☆☆
202327.1151 of 19924.1%★☆☆☆☆
202216.166 of 705.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201924.062 of 7618.4%★☆☆☆☆
201856.8110 of 37770.8%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202671.4164 of 68776.1%★★★★☆
202568.7176 of 69674.7%★★★★☆
202473.1149 of 70178.7%★★★★☆
202373.8140 of 68879.7%★★★★☆
202275.2124 of 63880.6%★★★★☆
202165.5153 of 57773.5%★★★★☆
201966.8175 of 62472.0%★★★★☆
201870.5162 of 67876.1%★★★★☆
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)
Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school
Female (2026)82nd percentile~ school
White (2026)76th percentile-7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile-10 vs school
Homeless (2018)68th percentile-13 vs school
Multi-racial (2024)67th percentile-19 vs school
Hispanic (2026)51st percentile-32 vs school
Special Education (2026)18th percentile-65 vs school
Asian (2025)18th percentile-65 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?
Social Studies60%+10 vs state
English Language Arts51%+13 vs state
Science50%+11 vs state
Mathematics47%+14 vs state
Math42%+10 vs state

5.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
5★2
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★0
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What people are saying
by a student
Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Open Quote best Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Open Quote This school is VERY good. I tranfered my kid from east and she loves it even more. East is an okay school but didnt stop kids from bullying my daughter. I highly recomend west middle school, its the one for your child! Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about West Middle School

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,081 students attended West Middle School.

West Middle School ranks 150th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend West Middle School usually go on to attend Traverse City High School

Students at West Middle School are 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian, 2% African American.

Rate West Middle School!



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Schools in Traverse City, MI

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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.

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