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Pierce Middle School

Q: Is Pierce Middle School a good school?

Pierce Middle School ranks 409 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

409^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 54% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Pierce Middle School in Waterford, MI, serves 733 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Waterford School District. The school has shown impressive momentum recently, jumping to its best state ranking in nearly a decade—the 54th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year, up from the 43rd percentile the prior year. This broad-based improvement spans nearly every student group, including significant gains for Hispanic students, low-income students, and male students, suggesting that recent school-wide initiatives are making a real difference.

One of Pierce's standout strengths is its exceptional support for English Language Learners, ranking in the top 10% statewide—a remarkable achievement that sets it apart from virtually all nearby schools. The school also outperforms its same-district counterpart, Mason Middle School, located just 1.6 miles away, by significant margins in 7th grade ELA (40% vs. 22.8% proficiency) and 8th grade social studies (51.4% vs. 37.2%). Pierce also maintains better attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 21.1% compared to Mason's 30.0% and the state average of 27.9%. While nearby schools like Sashabaw Middle School in Clarkston and Waldon Middle School in Lake Orion post higher overall scores, those schools serve student populations with significantly lower economic disadvantage, which is an important context for comparison.

Despite these strengths, math proficiency remains a persistent challenge—Pierce trails state averages by 4 to 11 percentage points across grade levels. More concerning is the school's support for special education students, which ranks in the bottom 10% statewide and has declined in recent years. This is a critical area needing immediate attention. On a positive note, 8th grade social studies proficiency has soared from 19% to 51.4% over two years, now exceeding the state average—a remarkable turnaround that school leaders should study for replication in other subjects. With improving student-teacher ratios (now 18.3:1) and steady per-student spending of $17,314, Pierce appears to be using its resources efficiently and is on an upward trajectory worth watching.

733

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,314

Per pupil spending ?

55.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

5145 Hatchery Rd
Waterford, MI 48329-3435

(248) 674-0331

District: Waterford School District

Feeder schools for Pierce Middle School:

Elementary:	Beaumont Elementary School
	Cooley Elementary School
	Haviland Elementary School
	Houghton Elementary School
	More...
	Riverside Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.9%

Hispanic:

13.1%

African American:

9.5%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Pierce Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Michigan median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Mathematics scores 11 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg33%

Michigan avg41%

409^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 19 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Waterford School District

335^th of 625Waterford School District 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	50.4	409 of 896	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.3	505 of 890	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	552 of 897	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.6	437 of 883	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.0	443 of 776	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.6	397 of 675	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	416 of 792	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.9	402 of 838	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	30.1	556 of 821	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.4	577 of 894	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	44.6	522 of 919	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.0	511 of 921	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.5	554 of 919	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.1	478 of 900	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.8	518 of 858	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.7	413 of 851	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.9	444 of 847	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	63.1	386 of 839	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.6	482 of 823	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	60.9	381 of 806	52.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	145 of 337	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.3	153 of 338	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	85 of 300	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	54.8	112 of 310	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	49 of 182	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	50.8	86 of 196	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.1	62 of 366	83.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	20.5	86 of 104	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	85.0	10 of 106	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	47.8	63 of 154	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	399 of 789	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.9	516 of 789	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	518 of 771	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	325 of 770	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.1	340 of 657	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.9	358 of 521	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.0	385 of 658	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.9	400 of 794	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	117 of 260	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.4	162 of 265	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.4	210 of 257	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	199 of 246	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.8	92 of 138	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.7	108 of 137	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.3	128 of 266	51.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	360 of 834	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.3	471 of 832	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	527 of 836	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	348 of 825	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	384 of 691	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.4	279 of 523	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	366 of 672	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.1	319 of 815	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	371 of 813	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	426 of 798	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.4	550 of 786	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	492 of 776	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.5	462 of 658	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.5	345 of 540	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.1	371 of 639	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.6	354 of 797	55.6%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	118 of 195	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	15.8	177 of 190	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	139 of 176	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	112 of 156	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	216 of 236	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	208 of 244	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	189 of 201	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	47.8	85 of 199	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	18.5	61 of 70	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	72 of 76	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	48.6	160 of 377	57.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.8	378 of 687	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.9	455 of 696	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	523 of 701	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.0	371 of 688	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	412 of 638	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.6	335 of 577	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.4	356 of 624	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	408 of 678	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)91st percentile+47 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)55th percentile~ school

Male (2026)54th percentile~ school

Female (2026)49th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)39th percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2018)17th percentile-35 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies51%~ state avg

Science38%~ state avg

English Language Arts38%~ state avg

Math25%-8 vs state

Mathematics22%-11 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 5, 2017

My children have had wonderful teachers at Pierce. They are very responsive to any questions & dedicated to helping their students grow. Pierce also has an excellent music program. Close Quote

Schools Near Pierce 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 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
Sashabaw Middle School	Public	5-8	5565 Pine Knob Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-4200	933	56	16.6	17.6%	799 (85.6%)	17 (1.8%)	65 (7.0%)	11 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.4%)	89.4	74^th of 896 public middle schools	91.7%		89.8	71^st of 890 public middle schools	92.0%	3			63.5	57.5	59.3	44.3			$16,374	$1,104	$15,271
Pontiac Middle School	Public	6-8	1275 N Perry St	Pontiac	48340	Oakland County	Pontiac City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 451-8010	790	40	19.9	71.1%	30 (3.8%)	329 (41.6%)	387 (49.0%)	19 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.2%)	3.9	895^th of 896 public middle schools	0.1%		7	854^th of 890 public middle schools	4.0%	41	13.5	1.9	4.0	5.9	1555.0	2.0	5.2	10.3	$20,774	$4,138	$16,636
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
Waldon Middle School	Public	6-8	2509 Waldon Rd	Lake Orion	48360	Oakland County	Lake Orion Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 391-1100	514	37	13.9	26.5%	390 (75.9%)	14 (2.7%)	49 (9.5%)	18 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.4%)	86.1	99^th of 896 public middle schools	89.0%		88.5	87^th of 890 public middle schools	90.2%	12	78.8	53.5	57.0	49.7	49.1	42.9	57.9	77.8	$18,036	$432	$17,605
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
North Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	3456 Lahser Rd	Bloomfield Hills	48302	Oakland County	Bloomfield Hills Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 341-6200	593	41	14.3	13.5%	430 (72.5%)	54 (9.1%)	22 (3.7%)	53 (8.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	31 (5.2%)	96.2	26^th of 896 public middle schools	97.1%		95.9	31^st of 890 public middle schools	96.5%	5	87.9	69.7	62.3	70.7	68.6	72.4	65.0	76.9	$25,741	$215	$25,526
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Pierce Middle School

How many students attend Pierce Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 733 students attended Pierce Middle School.

Is Pierce Middle School a good school?

Pierce Middle School ranks 409^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pierce Middle School?

Students at Pierce Middle School are 69% White, 13% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Pierce Middle School in?

Waterford School District

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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.