Summary:
Zip code 48602 in Saginaw, MI, is served by a single middle school, Thompson Middle School, which enrolls 585 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Saginaw School District of the City of.
Thompson Middle School is facing a severe academic crisis, ranking in the bottom 3rd percentile of all Michigan middle schools (865th out of 896) with a 0-star rating. Proficiency rates are critically low across every subject and grade level, often less than half of state averages. For example, only 3.8% of 7th graders are proficient in math, and just 2.7% of 8th graders are proficient in PSAT math. Even the strongest area, 8th-grade PSAT ELA at 30.6%, falls far below the state average of 64.8%. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate is a staggering 72.9%—more than 2.5 times the state average of 27.9% and well above the district’s own 59.5% rate. With over 90% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, this is a high-poverty, high-need environment where attendance and engagement are the primary barriers to learning.
Despite spending a substantial $16,877 per student—higher than many districts—the investment is not translating into academic gains. The student-teacher ratio of 21.6:1 is also relatively high, which may limit individualized attention. Year-over-year data shows a mixed but generally stagnant picture: while 6th-grade math proficiency improved slightly (from 2.86% to 5.8%) and 8th-grade science rose (from 5.4% to 9.2%), 7th-grade math declined (from 5.5% to 3.8%), and overall performance remains in the bottom tier. The one bright spot is 8th-grade ELA, where students outperform their younger peers, suggesting a possible cohort effect. However, this strength does not extend to math, where the same students score near zero. For parents, this school faces immense challenges that require urgent, targeted interventions focused on improving attendance and foundational skills.
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