Summary:
Zip code 48876, encompassing the Potterville, Michigan area, is home to a single middle school, Potterville Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 within the Potterville Public Schools district.
With a small enrollment of 222 students, Potterville Middle School presents a mixed academic profile. The school's greatest strengths are evident in its 5th-grade cohort, which outperforms state averages in English Language Arts (54.3% vs. 43.8%), Science (63.0% vs. 40.0%), and Social Studies (37.0% vs. 27.5%). However, mathematics is a consistent weakness across all grade levels, with proficiency rates lagging the state by 10 to 19 points. The most dramatic concern is the 8th-grade performance, where PSAT scores plummeted significantly from the prior year, with math proficiency falling to just 15.2% (state: 33.2%) and social studies proficiency at 30.3% (state: 50.3%). This sharp decline in upper-grade scores contributed to the school's state ranking dropping from the 64th percentile to the 38th percentile in a single year.
For parents, the key takeaway is that Potterville Middle School offers pockets of excellence, particularly in early-grade science, but faces significant challenges in math instruction and upper-grade academic performance. The school's small size means individual class cohorts can cause large year-to-year swings in test scores, making it important to view single-year data cautiously. Additionally, chronic absenteeism affects over one in four students (25.6%), which is slightly better than the state average but still elevated and likely impacts learning, especially in cumulative subjects like math. While per-student spending is robust at $14,108, the persistent math deficits suggest that targeted interventions in mathematics and efforts to improve attendance could be the most impactful areas for school improvement.
Thank you for your feedback!