The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Hope Middle School
Hope Middle School sits in Holt, an unincorporated community and census-designated place within Delhi Charter Township, just south of Lansing along I-96. The school serves grades five and six, a narrow band that captures students in that transitional year between elementary and full middle school. It is part of Holt Public Schools, a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. The enrollment is moderate for a two-grade building, split fairly evenly between the two grades it serves.
The community around Holt is car-dependent and suburban in character. Single-family homes, strip commercial development along corridors like Cedar Street, and light industrial areas define the built environment rather than a walkable downtown grid. Most residents drive alone to work, and the average household owns two vehicles. Capital Area Transportation Authority Route 8 connects Holt to Lansing, so there is a transit link, but the area is not built around pedestrians. The Holt Farmers' Market serves as a community gathering point, and the area has several parks, including William Burchfield Park with its beachfront swimming area, sledding hill, and year-round trails. Holt is also home to a glacial esker, the longest in Michigan, stretching roughly twenty miles from south Lansing through Holt to Mason.
Holt grew rapidly over recent decades, largely because the census-designated-place boundaries expanded, and then continued more modestly before showing a slight population decline between 2022 and 2023. Publicly reported data suggests the community may be plateauing. Median household income grew between those same years, and the largest local employment sectors are health care and social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. No single dominant employer defines the local economy, and many residents likely commute into Lansing for state government and metro-area jobs.
Housing in the 48842 zip code is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits below both the Michigan and national medians, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a median-priced home is modest relative to rents. Rent has been rising faster than home values year over year, which is a pattern worth noting for families weighing a purchase against leasing. The price-to-income ratio is below the national figure, meaning local buying power is reasonable for working households in the area.
On state assessments, Hope Middle School's results are mixed and lean toward the lower end. In sixth-grade math, roughly a quarter of tested students reached proficiency. Sixth-grade English language arts was somewhat stronger, with close to a third of students proficient. Fifth-grade science and social studies results from the prior year were lower, with science proficiency below a quarter and social studies proficiency in the single digits. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Ingham County. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school what supports and interventions are in place for students who are not yet proficient, particularly in math and social studies.
The student body is diverse. A little over half the students are white, with meaningful representation across Black, Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the working-class and middle-income mix of the surrounding community. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
Because Hope serves only fifth and sixth graders, there is no graduation rate, no high school course access data, and no AP or career pathway information to report. Those gaps reflect the grade band, not a missing program. Discipline, staffing, attendance, and chronic absenteeism figures were also not available in the data provided.
At the district level, Holt Public Schools voters approved a bond proposal in November 2021 to fund facility improvements, technology upgrades, and school security enhancements across the district. That investment will shape the learning environment and property taxes for years to come, which is relevant context for any family considering a home in the attendance area.
Hope Middle School fits a family looking for a two-year transitional setting in a suburban community with moderate housing costs and a diverse student population. The academic results suggest room for growth, and a parent would be well served by asking how the school supports students who arrive below grade level.
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