The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Social studies. The lowest is 28% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Au Gressims Middle School
Au Gres-Sims Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the small Lake Huron riverfront community of Au Gres, Michigan. The enrollment is small even for a middle school, and the student body is predominantly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education populations was not reported, so those figures are gaps rather than absent populations.
On state assessments, the most recent results paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, the school shows a clear upward trajectory as students move through the grades, with eighth-grade proficiency standing notably higher than sixth or seventh. That is a genuine bright spot. Math runs in the opposite direction, with proficiency declining from sixth grade through eighth, ending at a lower level than where the cohort started. Science proficiency for eighth graders sits in a middling range, while social studies is the school's strongest tested subject, with a majority of eighth graders reaching proficiency. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Arenac County, though that comparison set is small, with only two districts in the county. A parent considering this school may want to ask about math instruction and intervention strategies, particularly how the school supports students from sixth into eighth grade.
Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report, and that metric does not apply to this grade band. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. We also looked for program offerings, course access, staffing ratios, and discipline data, but none was reported in the available sources, so those dimensions remain unknown rather than weak.
The community context is distinctive. Au Gres is a very small city along the Au Gres River near Saginaw Bay, historically a logging town and now oriented toward tourism. Publicly reported sources describe it as "The Perch Capital," with a population that expands during summer months as visitors arrive for fishing, boating, and camping. The downtown corridor along US-23, designated the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway, features small shops, restaurants, wineries, and pubs. Riverside Park and the riverfront campground serve as recreational anchors, with the campground undergoing expansion in recent years. The town is compact enough that the school sits a short distance from downtown, and the built environment is characteristic small-town coastal Michigan. Walkability is limited by the rural setting; most travel is car-dependent. Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service, and a seasonal ferry connects Au Gres to Charity Island in Saginaw Bay.
The housing market here is affordable by any standard. Home values in the school's zip code are well below both the Michigan state benchmark and the national benchmark, and the price-to-income ratio sits below the national level. For families looking to buy, this is one of the more accessible markets in the state. Rent data was not available.
Au Gres has seen modest population growth and rising household income in recent years, according to publicly reported data. The city took the Lake Huron Forever Pledge and has invested in green infrastructure along its main corridors and at Riverside Park. We searched for information about recent bond or referendum activity in the Au Gres-Sims School District but found no publicly reported results, so we left that out rather than guess.
In sum, this is a very small, community-rooted middle school in a seasonal tourism town with affordable housing and a compact civic footprint. Its ELA and social studies results are encouraging, while math proficiency is an area a parent would want to understand better before enrolling. The absence of staffing, program, and absenteeism data means families should go directly to the district for a fuller picture of the school's day-to-day environment.
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