Summary:
Zip code 48732 is home to a single middle school, Cramer Junior High School, which serves grades 5 through 8 and enrolls 484 students in the Essexville, Michigan area as part of the Essexville-Hampton Public Schools district.
Cramer Junior High School has maintained a consistent 3-star rating over the past three years, with its state percentile ranking dipping slightly from the 61st to the 57th percentile. The school’s standout strengths are in literacy and social studies, particularly at the 8th grade level. In the most recent testing year, 8th graders scored above the state average in social studies (50.9% vs. 50.3%) and significantly outperformed the state in PSAT ELA (68.9% vs. 64.8%). The previous year’s 8th grade PSAT ELA performance was even more impressive at 79.8% proficiency, a remarkable 14.5 points above the state average. However, math is a persistent challenge across all grade levels. Proficiency rates lag well behind state averages, with 5th grade math particularly concerning at just 10.4% proficiency—a 21.8-point deficit. The school also shows a positive trend in math growth as students advance, with the same cohort improving by nearly 10 percentage points from 5th to 6th grade.
Chronic absenteeism affects 24% of students, which is below the state average of 27.9% but still represents a barrier to learning. The school operates with a student-to-teacher ratio of 17.3:1 and per-student spending of $11,805. Year-over-year data shows mixed results, with notable declines in 5th grade ELA and math scores, while 6th and 7th grade ELA and 6th grade math improved. This pattern suggests cohort effects rather than systemic decline. For parents, this school offers strong preparation in reading and social studies, particularly for older students, but math achievement requires attention, especially in the earlier grades.
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