The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Barker Middle School
Barker Middle School, a regular public school in the Michigan City Area Schools district, serves seventh and eighth graders. It is one of two middle schools in the district, which includes one high school and eight elementary schools spread across Michigan City. The school’s test results show that, on state assessments, a share of students reached proficiency in English language arts that was well below half, and a smaller share did so in math. These proficiency rates sit below the midpoint among districts in LaPorte County. Science and social studies results come from older state tests—including an assessment more than a decade old—so they are not a reliable picture of current performance. A parent may want to ask the school about recent trends in student achievement, as the available data points are limited.
The student body at Barker is racially and economically diverse. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that indicates a majority of families face economic need. The largest racial groups at the school are white students and Black students, each making up a sizable portion of the enrollment, followed by a smaller but still meaningful share of Hispanic students, along with students who identify as two or more races. Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are present in very small numbers. The school serves only seventh and eighth grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile. A family wanting to understand how the school serves specific populations would need to ask directly.
Michigan City, where the school sits, is a Lake Michigan city with a varied economy and civic life. It has a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and tourism infrastructure, anchored by the Blue Chip Casino, Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, and a historic downtown. Franciscan Health Michigan City and the Indiana State Prison are also major employers. The city has pursued downtown and north-end revitalization for years, including the Andrews Plan focused on open park areas along the lakefront. The South Shore Line provides passenger rail service to Chicago, and as of late 2025, the city’s bus service is free. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rents have risen recently, a pattern that families moving to the area would encounter.
The school’s location on Barker Road places it in a residential part of the city, away from the downtown civic core and the lakefront. The school building itself is a standard public middle school facility, and no program offerings or special designations, such as magnet or Title I status, were included in the available information. The district did not have recent reported changes like a referendum or curriculum overhaul for a parent to consider. For a family evaluating options, Barker provides a middle-school-only setting within a mid-sized Lake Michigan city. The academic performance data suggests a facility where the majority of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks in math and English, which is information a family would want to weigh alongside the school’s specific programs and support structures.
See more original research from School Decision →