The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carrollton Middle School
Carrollton Middle School sits in the Carrollton Public Schools district, serving grades six through eight on Saginaw's west side. It is a regular public school in a community shaped by Saginaw's industrial rise and long decline. The city grew from a nineteenth-century lumber town into a twentieth-century manufacturing hub anchored by General Motors, then lost much of that industrial base as Rust Belt deindustrialization took hold. Saginaw's population has continued to contract, and modern economic efforts center on clean energy, innovation, and what remains of manufacturing exports. Publicly reported descriptions note that the city still carries a higher share of manufacturing jobs than the national average, and downtown along the Saginaw River holds civic and cultural venues like the Castle Museum, Temple Theatre, and Dow Event Center. The school itself sits on Carla Drive, a residential setting apart from that downtown corridor.
The enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with each grade band roughly similar in size. The student body reflects Saginaw's diversity. White students make up the largest single group, followed closely by Hispanic students, with Black students forming the next largest share and a smaller portion identifying as two or more races. A very substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this school among the higher-poverty settings in the region and signals that many families here are working with limited economic resources. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized from what was provided.
Academic results tell a mixed and in some areas concerning story. In English language arts, proficiency climbs as students move through the grades, with eighth-grade results standing out as a relative strength and a larger share of students meeting benchmarks than in the earlier grades. Seventh-grade ELA sits in a middle range, and sixth-grade ELA is lower. The pattern in math is far weaker. Across all three grades, only a small fraction of students reach proficiency, with sixth and eighth grade especially low and seventh grade only modestly better. Eighth-grade science and social studies results fall in between, with roughly a quarter to a third of students proficient. Placed relative to districts in Saginaw County, the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint, meaning neighboring districts are generally producing stronger tested outcomes across subjects and grades.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided information whether these results are improving, stable, or declining over time. A parent trying to understand the academic trajectory here would want to ask the school directly about that. The math results in particular are low enough that a parent may want to look into how the school approaches math instruction, intervention, and support before drawing conclusions.
Because this is a middle school serving only grades six through eight, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band rather than a missing outcome. Chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance data were also not available. Program offerings were not provided, so nothing can be said about extracurriculars, advanced coursework, or specialized supports beyond what the assessment data implies. A family considering this school would benefit from asking about those offerings directly.
Housing in the surrounding area is quite affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the Michigan median and far below the national figure, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home is modest. Rent, where data was available, also appears affordable relative to income. For families already in the Saginaw area or those drawn by low housing costs, this is one of the more accessible real estate markets in the region, though the broader economic context of population decline and limited employer diversity is part of the trade-off.
Carrollton Middle School fits a family looking for a small-to-mid-size middle school in an affordable, culturally diverse community within the Saginaw area. The English language arts results, particularly in eighth grade, suggest some students are building toward proficiency. The math results are a genuine soft spot and the most pressing reason a parent should engage with the school before enrolling. The high level of economic need among families here means the school is doing work that extends well beyond academics, and understanding what supports it offers for students facing those pressures would be central to any enrollment decision.
See more original research from School Decision →