Summary:
Zip code 48044 in Macomb, Michigan, is served by two public middle schools—Seneca Middle School and Iroquois Middle School—both part of the Chippewa Valley Schools district, which serves grades 6-8 and enrolls a combined 1,892 students.
For families comparing the two, Iroquois Middle School is the clear academic leader. It ranks in the 84th percentile statewide (144th out of nearly 900 Michigan middle schools) and has improved its ranking each of the past three years. Iroquois outperforms Seneca in most subjects, with the most dramatic gap in 8th-grade PSAT math: 50% proficiency versus Seneca’s 34%, a 16-point difference despite nearly identical socioeconomic profiles (about 25% free/reduced lunch at both schools) and similar per-student spending ($12,920 vs. $12,735). Iroquois also leads in 7th-grade math (53.7% vs. 48.3%), 8th-grade science (51.5% vs. 44.7%), and 8th-grade social studies (65.0% vs. 58.5%). Its chronic absenteeism rate is lower too, at 19.0% versus Seneca’s 24.8%.
Seneca Middle School remains a solid, above-average option—ranking in the 77th percentile—and actually edges out Iroquois in 6th-grade ELA (44.4% vs. 40.0%) while matching it in 7th-grade ELA (47.0% vs. 47.2%). Both schools excel in 8th-grade PSAT ELA, with Seneca at 74.6% and Iroquois at 80.6%, far above the state’s 64.8%. However, Seneca’s higher absenteeism and recent declines in several subjects (6th-grade ELA, 8th-grade science) suggest it may be plateauing, while Iroquois is on a clear upward trajectory. Both schools significantly beat state averages across most metrics, so families can expect strong academics either way—but those prioritizing math and overall momentum will find Iroquois particularly compelling.
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