Summary:
Zip code 49509 in Wyoming, Michigan, is served by two middle schools—Wyoming Intermediate (grades 5-6, 579 students) and Lee Middle School (grades 6-8, 346 students)—both operating in high-poverty communities where over 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and both districts rank in the bottom 20% of Michigan districts.
For parents comparing the two, the most striking difference is attendance. Wyoming Intermediate has a chronic absenteeism rate of 41.3%—meaning more than 4 in 10 students miss significant school—versus 24.5% at Lee Middle School. This likely explains why Wyoming Intermediate, despite spending less per student ($14,874 vs. $18,654), showed year-over-year academic gains in most subjects, while Lee Middle School saw sharp declines in nearly every category, including a drop in 7th grade ELA proficiency from 18.4% to 9.6% and 6th grade math from 11.6% to 5.6%. Lee’s higher spending and better student-teacher ratio (15.5:1 vs. 16.7:1) have not translated into better outcomes, though it does serve a slightly more impoverished population (93.6% vs. 86.5% free/reduced lunch).
Academically, both schools trail state averages by 15-30 percentage points in core subjects. Math is especially concerning: only 5.6% of Lee’s 6th graders and 12.1% of Wyoming Intermediate’s 5th graders are proficient. One bright spot is Lee’s 8th grade PSAT ELA score (43.7% proficient), which far exceeds its M-Step ELA results in earlier grades, suggesting possible growth or a difference in test rigor. However, PSAT math remains very low at 9.2%. Parents should note that Wyoming Public Schools faces a systemic absenteeism challenge (district rate 40.4%), while Godfrey-Lee Public Schools shows more performance volatility. Both schools would benefit from targeted attendance and math interventions.
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