The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Waverly Middle School
Waverly Middle School sits in the Waverly Community Schools district on the west side of Lansing, Michigan's state capital. It serves grades six through eight, though in practice the school is composed almost entirely of seventh and eighth graders, with only a handful of sixth-grade students enrolled. This makes it closer to a junior high model than a traditional middle school, and families coming from the district's elementary buildings should expect that transition to happen a year earlier than it would in a grade-six-through-eight configuration.
The school's student body is one of the more diverse in the region. Black students form the largest group, followed by white and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic mix of the surrounding area. The school does not report English-learner or special-education counts in the data provided, so a parent looking for information on those services would need to ask the district directly.
On state assessments, the results paint a mixed picture. English language arts is the relative bright spot. Eighth-grade ELA proficiency on the PSAT reaches about half of tested students, a notably stronger showing than the school's other subjects. Seventh-grade ELA on the M-STEP is more modest, with roughly a quarter of students reaching proficiency. Math is the clearest soft spot. Both seventh and eighth grades show low proficiency rates, and a parent may want to look into how the school is supporting math instruction and intervention, particularly given the jump from M-STEP in seventh grade to the PSAT in eighth. Science and social studies, tested only in eighth grade, land in between, with social studies somewhat stronger than science.
When measured against its Eaton County peers, Waverly Middle School's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among the county's districts. The comparison set used here is the county's district membership, so this positioning reflects how the school stacks up against neighboring districts in Eaton County, not a statewide or national sample. The county cohort's proficiency ranges widely, and Waverly falls in the lower portion of that band.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to tell from the provided information whether these results are improving, declining, or stable over time. Participation rates for the assessments were also not reported. Chronic absenteeism data was not available for this school. Graduation rates do not apply here, since the school does not serve high school grades.
The surrounding community is Lansing, a mid-sized state capital with an economy anchored by state government, insurance, healthcare, and education. Major employers include the State of Michigan, Auto-Owners Insurance, Jackson National Life, Sparrow Health System, and McLaren Greater Lansing. Michigan State University sits in adjacent East Lansing and serves as a regional anchor. The city has a riverfront trail system along the Grand River and a civic core built around the state capitol building. Walkability is moderate downtown, but the broader area is largely auto-oriented. Publicly reported sources note that Lansing has grown modestly in recent years and has expanded its boundaries through annexation agreements with surrounding townships.
For housing, the school's zip code shows home values below the state benchmark and well below the national one, making the area relatively affordable for a capital-city metro. Rents are also modest, and the rent-to-income ratio suggests renting is financially manageable for most local households. A family buying a home here would face mortgage costs that compare reasonably to local incomes, though current mortgage rates remain elevated. Home values have been appreciating at a gentle pace.
At the district level, Waverly Community Schools recently secured voter approval for a bond to improve facilities across all district schools, according to publicly reported information. This points to ongoing investment in building conditions, though it may also carry property-tax implications for residents. Beyond that, the district brief did not surface specific academic program changes or strategic priorities, so those would be worth asking about directly.
In sum, Waverly Middle School offers a diverse peer environment in an affordable part of the Lansing metro, with a relative strength in eighth-grade English language arts and clear room for growth in mathematics. Families considering this school should weigh the transition timeline, the economic diversity of the student body, and the need to engage directly with the school about math support, special populations, and any program offerings the data did not capture.
See more original research from School Decision →