The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Social studies. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Nellie B Chisholm Middle School
Nellie B. Chisholm Middle School sits in the small lakeside city of Montague, on the shore of White Lake where it meets Lake Michigan. It is the sole middle school serving Montague Area Public Schools, a district with an unusual two-county footprint. Three of the district's five schools, including this one, sit within Montague itself, woven into the town's walkable street grid rather than set apart on a distant campus. The other two are in the Village of Rothbury, a short drive north. For a parent, that means the middle school is part of the civic fabric of a community that publicly describes itself as protective of its nineteenth-century neighborhoods while welcoming newer residential growth. Montague's year-round population has stayed remarkably stable, and the local economy leans on tourism, small manufacturing, and professional services rather than any single large employer.
The school serves grades six through eight with an enrollment that is modest for its grade band. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
On state assessments, the most recent results paint a mixed but in some areas genuinely strong picture. English language arts stands out, particularly in eighth grade, where the proportion of students scoring proficient was notably high. Seventh-grade ELA was more middle-of-the-road, and sixth grade sat below that. Social studies proficiency among eighth graders was also a clear strength. Science proficiency among eighth graders landed in a middling range. Mathematics is the school's clearest soft spot. Sixth and seventh grade math proficiency sat below the levels seen in ELA for the same grades, and eighth-grade math, measured through the PSAT rather than the M-STEP used in lower grades, was the lowest result across all tested subjects and grades. A parent whose child tends to struggle with math, or conversely excels at it, may want to look into how the school supports that range directly.
Against its neighbors, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Muskegon County, well above the county median. That comparison reflects the combined strength of the ELA and social studies results carrying the math results. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided data whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. Participation rates for the assessments were also not reported.
The broader district has seen a recent investment in facilities. Voters approved a bond in August 2022 to fund district-wide improvements, including a new performance gymnasium, a new agricultural barn, auditorium lighting and technology upgrades, and remodeling of co-curricular space. For families at the middle school, this translates into upgraded athletics, performing arts, and agricultural program facilities that students will move into as they progress through the district, particularly at the high school level.
Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits below the state figure and well below the national one, and the price-to-income ratio is modest. Rent data was not available. Mortgage rates in the broader market have been elevated, which affects affordability even in a lower-priced market, but the area remains accessible by statewide standards. No data on staffing, course access, discipline, or attendance was provided, so those dimensions of the school environment could not be assessed here. A family weighing this school would benefit from asking the administration directly about class sizes, available electives and interventions, and how the school supports students who are below proficiency in math as they prepare for the transition to high school.
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