Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 48706

The 48706 zip code area is home to two middle schools - Christa McAuliffe Middle School and Handy Middle School. While both serve students in grades 6-8, the data suggests a significant performance gap between the two, with Christa McAuliffe emerging as the stronger school overall.

Christa McAuliffe Middle School has a higher statewide ranking, earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger compared to Handy Middle's 1-star rating. It also outperforms Handy Middle on most academic proficiency measures, with higher test scores in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. In contrast, Handy Middle School faces more significant challenges, with lower test scores and a higher percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, indicating it serves a more economically disadvantaged student population.

Both schools, however, struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates of around 30%, which likely impacts overall academic achievement. Additionally, the higher spending per student at Handy Middle School does not seem to translate to better outcomes, highlighting the complex relationship between funding and student performance. Further investigation into the specific factors driving the performance differences between the two schools could yield valuable insights to support improvement efforts across the 48706 zip code area.