The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Holmes Stem Middle School Academy
Holmes STEM Middle School Academy is a regular public school in the Flint School District of the City of, serving grades six through eight on the city's north side along Oxley Drive. The school sits in a community where nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Black, with smaller White, multiracial, and Hispanic populations. Enrollment is modest for a middle school, with the bulk of students in seventh and eighth grades. The directory lists grade six as part of the served span, though the enrollment data shows no sixth graders currently enrolled; a small number of sixth-grade test takers do appear in the state assessment results, so a parent may want to confirm with the school how the sixth-grade program operates and whether it is being phased in or out.
On state assessments, proficiency is low across every subject and grade. Math results show very few or no students reaching the proficient benchmark in any of the three grades tested. English language arts is somewhat stronger, with eighth-grade results showing a higher share of students reaching proficiency than seventh grade, though still well below state expectations. Science and social studies, tested only in eighth grade, show only a small fraction of students proficient. When positioned against other districts in Genesee County, the school's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. These are difficult numbers, and a parent considering this school would want to ask the administration directly what academic interventions and support structures are in place, and how the STEM focus described in the school's name translates into daily classroom practice.
The school's identity centers on a STEM theme, but the data provided does not include specific course offerings, program details, or extracurricular activities. Without program information, it is hard to say from the data alone how the STEM designation shapes the curriculum. The same gap applies to staffing, discipline, attendance, and chronic absenteeism, where no data was provided. We looked for the district's recent strategic changes or parent-relevant updates and found little publicly reported, so we left that out rather than guess.
Flint itself is a mid-sized post-industrial city shaped by its General Motors manufacturing heritage and decades of population decline following massive workforce reductions. The city has worked through the aftermath of its lead water crisis by securing a new water source and replacing lead service lines. Publicly reported accounts describe ongoing revitalization efforts centered on the downtown core along Saginaw Street, with cultural venues like the Capitol Theatre and the Sloan Museum, and annual events such as the Back to the Bricks classic car show. Walkability outside downtown is limited, and the city is largely auto-dependent. Civic anchors include the Flint River, the public library, the parks system, and the Mass Transportation Authority for public transit. General Motors remains an employer in the area at a reduced scale, alongside healthcare and educational institutions.
The housing market around the school reflects Flint's broader economic context. Home values in the school's zip code are quite low, well below the Genesee County median listing price and far below state and national benchmarks. Rents are also low. For a family already in Flint, the affordability of housing near the school is a practical advantage. The county market overall has seen recent increases in listing prices and a modest rise in active and new listings, with homes moving relatively quickly. A family considering a move to the area would find housing costs manageable but should weigh that against the academic data and the school's current trajectory.
Holmes STEM Middle School Academy serves a community with deep economic challenges, and the academic results reflect that context. The STEM designation suggests an intended curricular direction, but the available data does not confirm how that plays out in practice. A family evaluating this school should go beyond the numbers and visit, ask about the instructional model, and understand what supports are available for students working below grade level.
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