Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Clifford H Smart Middle School

Q: Is Clifford H Smart Middle School a good school?

Clifford H Smart Middle School ranks 125 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

125^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 86% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Clifford H Smart Middle School in Commerce Township, MI, is a public school serving 888 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools district, and it stands out as the top-performing middle school in its district while also being a highly efficient and cost-effective option for families.

Academically, Clifford H Smart consistently outperforms both district and state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, 8th-grade social studies proficiency reached 67.9% in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to 64.3% for the district and 50.3% statewide. When compared to its direct peers, it outpaces Sarah G Banks Middle School and Walnut Creek Middle School in nearly every subject and grade level—for instance, 7th-grade math proficiency was 50.3% at Clifford H Smart versus 47% at Sarah G Banks and 38% at Walnut Creek. The school also achieves these results with a lower per-student expenditure ($14,930) than its district peers, and it has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (18.4%) than the district (19.8%) or state (27.9%) averages. This combination of strong outcomes and efficient resource use makes it a high-value choice, especially when compared to schools in neighboring districts like Waterford School District, where Mason Middle School and Pierce Middle School rank in the 33rd and 54th percentiles, respectively.

However, recent data reveals some areas of concern. While the school has earned a 5-star rating in three of the last four years and ranked as high as 71st in the state, its most recent ranking dipped to the 86th percentile, with noticeable declines in 6th-grade ELA (from 53.2% to 48.2%) and 8th-grade science (from 66.8% to 56.4%). More troubling, performance for special education students has dropped from the 49th to the 25th percentile, and for low socio-economic status students from the 92nd to the 74th percentile over the same period. These trends suggest that while the school excels for its general population, it may need to strengthen support for its most vulnerable learners to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.

888

Students ?

20.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,930

Per pupil spending ?

20.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8500 Commerce Rd
Commerce Township, MI 48382-4409

(248) 956-3500

District: Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

Students who attend Clifford H Smart Middle School usually attend:

High:

Walled Lake Northern High School

Feeder schools for Clifford H Smart Middle School:

Elementary:	Commerce Elementary School
	Dublin Elementary
	Keith Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.7%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Clifford H Smart Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 87th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Michigan middle schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg52%

Michigan avg41%

125^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Middle Schools in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

95^th of 625Walled Lake Consolidated 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	82.4	125 of 896	86.0%	★★★★☆
2025	88.7	84 of 890	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	90.2	71 of 897	92.1%	★★★★★
2023	89.5	78 of 883	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	86.1	80 of 776	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	78.6	101 of 675	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	90.1	66 of 792	91.7%	★★★★★
2018	89.8	71 of 838	91.5%	★★★★★
2017	83.0	102 of 821	87.6%	★★★★☆
2016	83.4	116 of 894	87.0%	★★★★☆
2015	85.9	88 of 919	90.4%	★★★★★
2014	88.8	68 of 921	92.6%	★★★★★
2013	90.6	54 of 919	94.1%	★★★★★
2012	90.2	55 of 900	93.9%	★★★★★
2011	85.5	41 of 858	95.2%	★★★★★
2010	85.1	36 of 851	95.8%	★★★★★
2009	86.6	41 of 847	95.2%	★★★★★
2008	85.1	56 of 839	93.3%	★★★★★
2007	82.5	84 of 823	89.8%	★★★★☆
2006	85.6	50 of 806	93.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	93.0	14 of 366	96.2%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	79 of 87	9.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	80.5	112 of 789	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	86.9	77 of 789	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	85.2	79 of 771	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	85.9	78 of 770	89.9%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	68 of 657	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	80.6	66 of 521	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	88.5	57 of 658	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	89.5	64 of 794	91.9%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	38 of 260	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	78.2	36 of 265	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	24 of 257	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	77.7	36 of 246	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	43 of 266	83.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	216 of 834	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.9	103 of 832	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	70 of 836	91.6%	★★★★★
2023	79.1	93 of 825	88.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.8	78 of 691	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	71.5	82 of 523	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	79.8	63 of 672	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	79.8	85 of 815	89.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	79.3	126 of 813	84.5%	★★★★☆
2025	86.3	80 of 798	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	90.7	56 of 786	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	88.6	77 of 776	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	82.0	93 of 658	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	67.5	125 of 540	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	67 of 639	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	86.9	80 of 797	90.0%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	41 of 195	79.0%	★★★★☆
2025	57.2	72 of 190	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.8	49 of 176	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	73.0	37 of 156	76.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	177 of 236	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.4	119 of 244	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	103 of 201	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	98 of 199	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	24.8	51 of 70	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.7	33 of 76	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.6	106 of 377	71.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	74.5	139 of 687	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	83.8	90 of 696	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	85.7	76 of 701	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	83.3	90 of 688	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.7	101 of 638	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	73.3	112 of 577	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	84.9	79 of 624	87.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.4	81 of 678	88.1%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2018)96th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)86th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)85th percentile~ school

Male (2026)85th percentile~ school

White (2026)80th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)79th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2026)25th percentile-61 vs school

Asian (2026)9th percentile-77 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies68%+18 vs state

Science56%+17 vs state

English Language Arts50%+12 vs state

Mathematics49%+16 vs state

Math46%+13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Clifford H Smart Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Clifford H Smart 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 Clifford H Smart Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th 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
Clifford H Smart Middle School	Public	6-8	8500 Commerce Rd	Commerce Township	48382	Oakland County	Walled Lake Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 956-3500	888	43	20.7	20.2%	743 (83.7%)	26 (2.9%)	50 (5.6%)	23 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.8%)	82.4	125^th of 896 public middle schools	86.0%		88.7	84^th of 890 public middle schools	90.6%	41	75.4	49.3		48.2	51.4		41.8	50.3		56.4		67.9	$14,930	$680	$14,250
Walnut Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	7601 Walnut Lake Rd	West Bloomfield	48323	Oakland County	Walled Lake Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 956-2400	641	35	18.5	37.1%	484 (75.5%)	64 (10.0%)	37 (5.8%)	36 (5.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.8%)	66.1	243^rd of 896 public middle schools	72.9%		83.3	110^th of 890 public middle schools	87.6%	133	69.1	43.4		37.7	40.7		38.0	38.0		40.8		56.9	$15,823	$512	$15,311
White Lake Middle School	Public	6-8	1450 Bogie Lake Rd	White Lake	48383	Oakland County	Huron Valley Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 684-8004	525	29	18.3	37.9%	463 (88.2%)	9 (1.7%)	25 (4.8%)	9 (1.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	73.4	190^th of 896 public middle schools	78.8%		61.7	283^rd of 890 public middle schools	68.2%	93	74.0	39.8		47.5	44.3		36.9	36.2		52.4		68.5	$14,288	$754	$13,534
West Bloomfield Middle School	Public	6-8	6000 Orchard Lake Rd	West Bloomfield	48322	Oakland County	West Bloomfield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 865-3670	1,008	55	18.3	31.6%	391 (38.8%)	426 (42.3%)	72 (7.1%)	49 (4.9%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (6.3%)	62.2	276^th of 896 public middle schools	69.2%		57	333^rd of 890 public middle schools	62.6%	57	65.1	35.2		39.1	40.1		36.7	40.3		42.1		50.7	$14,698	$615	$14,083
Sarah G Banks Middle School	Public	6-8	1760 Charms Rd	Wixom	48393	Oakland County	Walled Lake Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 956-2200	597	26	22.6	28.8%	418 (70.0%)	43 (7.2%)	45 (7.5%)	52 (8.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.2%)	80.2	138^th of 896 public middle schools	84.6%		84.8	102^nd of 890 public middle schools	88.5%	36	77.7	45.3		46.8	50.5		41.5	47.0		52.7		67.6	$15,222	$477	$14,745
Pierce Middle School	Public	6-8	5145 Hatchery Rd	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 674-0331	733	40	18.3	55.0%	505 (68.9%)	70 (9.5%)	96 (13.1%)	17 (2.3%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	39 (5.3%)	50.4	409^th of 896 public middle schools	54.4%		42.3	505^th of 890 public middle schools	43.3%	96	68.7	22.2		35.8	40.0		20.9	29.3		38.3		51.4	$17,314	$1,368	$15,946
Warner Middle School	Public	6-8	30303 W 14 Mile Rd	Farmington Hills	48334	Oakland County	Farmington Public School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 785-2039	559	38	14.8	26.3%	274 (49.0%)	196 (35.1%)	29 (5.2%)	30 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (4.8%)	70.3	212^th of 896 public middle schools	76.3%		66.6	242^nd of 890 public middle schools	72.8%	30	76.5	39.3		41.5	47.5		37.5	46.0		40.2		54.1	$18,422	$873	$17,548
Muir Middle School	Public	6-8	425 George St	Milford	48381	Oakland County	Huron Valley Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 684-8060	656	34	19.0	28.8%	584 (89.0%)	17 (2.6%)	29 (4.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (2.7%)	74.8	177^th of 896 public middle schools	80.2%		77.3	155^th of 890 public middle schools	82.6%	22	77.8	39.7		44.0	53.2		39.1	39.9		44.6		66.3	$14,729	$751	$13,977
Mason Middle School	Public	6-8	3835 W Walton Blvd	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 674-2281	731	44	16.5	64.0%	409 (56.0%)	113 (15.5%)	159 (21.8%)	11 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (5.1%)	30.9	596^th of 896 public middle schools	33.5%		31.4	595^th of 890 public middle schools	33.1%	1	58.4	16.7		25.6	22.8		20.8	18.8		30.5		37.2	$17,442	$1,556	$15,887
Novi Meadows School	Public	5-7	25549 Taft Rd	Novi	48374	Oakland County	Novi Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 449-1250	1,048	62	16.9	9.9%	338 (32.3%)	81 (7.7%)	51 (4.9%)	529 (50.5%)	14 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.1%)								(n/a)			62.7	66.7		70.8	71.6		68.5		52.0		$16,161	$789	$15,372

Frequently Asked Questions about Clifford H Smart Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Clifford H Smart Middle School?

Students at Clifford H Smart Middle School are 84% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

Is Clifford H Smart Middle School a good school?

Clifford H Smart Middle School ranks 125^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Clifford H Smart Middle School attend?

Students who attend Clifford H Smart Middle School usually go on to attend Walled Lake Northern High School

What district is Clifford H Smart Middle School in?

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

How many students attend Clifford H Smart Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 888 students attended Clifford H Smart Middle School.

Rate Clifford H Smart Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Middle School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Commerce Township, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Clifford H Smart 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.