The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Social studies. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Swartz Creek Middle School
Swartz Creek MiddleSchool sits in a small suburb of Flint, a community that publicly describes itself as having a peaceful small-town atmosphere. The city incorporated partly to avoid being absorbed into Flint, and today it functions as a car-oriented residential place with commercial development clustered along major roads. A Meijer store on Morrish Road north of I-69 serves as a retail anchor. Civic life centers on a municipal campus housing City Hall, police and fire departments, a senior center, and the Perkins Library. The built environment is low-density suburban, with separated civic, commercial, and residential zones rather than a walkable downtown core. I-69 runs along the northern edge of the city, giving residents straightforward regional highway access. Population appears stable or slightly declining. The housing market here is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks, with home values well below what most Michigan and U.S. buyers face. Rents are also modest. For a family considering this area, housing costs would not be a major barrier, and the county market shows steady listing activity with homes moving in a reasonable timeframe.
The middle school serves grades six through eight and has an enrollment that is sizable for its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Black students, students of two or more races, and Hispanic students. Data on English learners and special education populations was not available, so those figures are left out rather than estimated. The school is a regular public school within Swartz Creek Community Schools, not a charter or magnet.
On state assessments, the academic picture is mixed. Math proficiency is low across all three grades, with only a small fraction of sixth and seventh graders reaching proficient levels on M-STEP, and eighth grade results on the PSAT somewhat higher but still modest. English language arts tells a more encouraging story, particularly in eighth grade, where a strong majority of students demonstrated proficiency on the PSAT. Sixth and seventh grade ELA proficiency sits in the mid-twenties, which is below where most families would want to see it. Science proficiency in eighth grade reaches about a third of tested students, and social studies is stronger, with nearly half of eighth graders proficient. When measured against districts in Genesee County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands above the midpoint, which gives it a standing somewhere in the upper portion of the county's district cohort. That positioning reflects the eighth grade ELA and social studies results pulling the overall index upward against weaker math performance.
A parent looking at these results may want to dig further into the math program, especially in the earlier middle school grades, where proficiency is weakest. The gap between the lower M-STEP math results and the stronger PSAT-based eighth grade ELA results suggests that performance varies meaningfully by subject and assessment. The school does not have graduation rate data, which is expected because it serves only middle grades. Chronic absenteeism data was also not reported.
The district has been investing in its facilities. Publicly reported information indicates that Swartz Creek Community Schools completed a round of renovations by early 2022, including a new STEM wing at the high school and a performing arts center, with middle school construction for STEM classrooms and performing arts facilities ongoing. In August 2022, voters approved a bond proposal funding district-wide facility improvements and safety upgrades, including secure entryways across school buildings. These investments point to a district actively reshaping its physical learning environments, which a family weighing the school would see as a tangible commitment to infrastructure, even as academic outcomes in math remain an area to watch.
The surrounding community offers parks, a branch of the Genesee District Library that also serves several neighboring townships, and highway access to Flint and beyond. The former Sports Creek Raceway, once a local employer and revenue source, has closed with no reopening plans. Identifiable employers are limited, with Meijer, the school district, and city government being the most visible. This is a working suburban community with modest housing costs, an older-skewing residential profile, and a school district that is putting bond money into buildings and safety while continuing to work on student proficiency.
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