Summary:
Zip code 48081 is home to just one middle school, Jefferson Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 within the Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb) district, enrolling a substantial 990 students.
As the only middle school in the area, Jefferson Middle School stands out as a consistent high performer, maintaining a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranking in the top 26% of Michigan middle schools. The school excels in most subjects, with 8th-grade PSAT English Language Arts proficiency reaching an impressive 77.4%—well above the state average of 64.8%. M-Step scores in 6th and 7th-grade math and ELA, as well as 8th-grade science and social studies, all exceed state averages. However, there is a notable weakness in 8th-grade PSAT math, where proficiency sits at just 33.5%, essentially matching the state average but creating a massive 44-point gap compared to the school's own ELA scores. This suggests a strong literacy program but a potential area for improvement in advanced math preparation.
One of the most striking findings is the paradox of high achievement despite a chronic absenteeism rate of 30.8%, which is higher than both the district (24.4%) and state (27.9%) averages. This indicates that while many students are missing significant school days, those who attend regularly are performing exceptionally well. With nearly half of the student body (48.48%) eligible for free/reduced lunch, the school's ability to outperform state averages across most subjects is commendable. The student-teacher ratio of 19.2 to 1 is relatively high, and per-student spending is $15,083. Year-over-year data shows some volatility, particularly in math scores, suggesting that individual cohorts can vary significantly. For parents, this school offers strong overall academics, especially in ELA, but the high absenteeism and math PSAT scores are worth monitoring.
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