Is Burton Middle School a good school?

Burton Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.7% of Michigan middle schools.

How many students attend Burton Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 444 students attended Burton Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Burton Middle School?

Students at Burton Middle School are 73% Hispanic, 23% African American, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Burton Middle School attend?

Students who attend Burton Middle School usually go on to attend City MiddleHigh

Burton Middle School

Summary:

Burton Middle School is a public middle school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 482 students. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority of Hispanic and African American students.

Burton Middle School faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, far below average standardized test scores across all subject areas and grade levels, and particularly low performance for certain student subgroups such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners. For example, in 2023-2024, only 2.44% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 37.5% at the state level and 25.7% in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 89% to 96.54% over the past few years.

When compared to other nearby schools within the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, Burton Middle School is one of the lowest-performing schools. For instance, Grand Rapids Public Museum Middle outperforms Burton Middle School across various academic metrics, including test scores and subgroup performance. Despite the low academic performance, Burton Middle School has seen a significant increase in per-student spending, suggesting that additional funding alone may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and ensuring equitable access to high-quality education for all students, regardless of their racial or socioeconomic background, will be crucial in improving the school's performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2133 Buchanan Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49507-2967

(616) 819-2269

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
891^st of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,908

Students who attend Burton Middle School usually attend:

High:	City MiddleHigh
	Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
	Innovation Central High
	Union High School

Feeder schools for Burton Middle School:

Elementary:	Buchanan Elementary
	Burton Elementary
	Cesar E Chavez Elementary
	Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 444

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.7%

African American:

22.7%

White:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.3%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Burton Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Burton Middle School ranks worse than 99.3% of middle schools in Michigan. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked middle schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.37. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Burton Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (72.7%), African American (22.7%), White (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Burton Middle School is 19.1. 4 middle schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Burton Middle School employs 23.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Burton Middle School is $17,908, which is the 4^th highest among 5 middle schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Burton Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Burton Middle School 891^st of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Burton Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Hispanic students:

Grand Rapids Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand Rapids Public Schools 471^st of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Burton Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	3.56	783^rd	806	2.9%
2007	6.99	782^nd	823	5.0%
2008	11.18	778^th	839	7.3%
2009	6.31	806^th	847	4.8%
2010	7.74	808^th	851	5.1%
2011	3.29	838^th	858	2.3%
2012	7.85	860^th	900	4.4%
2013	7.82	873^rd	919	5.0%
2014	6.12	886^th	921	3.8%
2015	6.44	897^th	919	2.4%
2016	6.45	859^th	894	3.9%
2017	4.67	814^th	821	0.9%
2018	8.17	814^th	838	2.9%
2019	2.74	790^th	792	0.3%
2023	5.17	870^th	883	1.5%
2024	4.37	891^st	897	0.7%

See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	20.65	142^nd	154	7.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	10.15	769^th	815	5.6%
2019	2.87	670^th	672	0.3%
2023	6.33	808^th	825	2.1%
2024	4.85	829^th	836	0.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.68	755^th	794	4.9%
2019	1.95	657^th	658	0.2%
2022	1.70	657^th	657	0.0%
2023	3.54	769^th	770	0.1%
2024	3.69	767^th	771	0.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	8.35	765^th	797	4.0%
2019	2.17	638^th	639	0.2%
2023	4.39	769^th	776	0.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.09	318^th	366	13.1%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Burton Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	8.57	263^rd	266	1.1%
2019	3.46	137^th	137	0.0%
2023	4.88	245^th	246	0.4%
2024	3.86	257^th	257	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Burton Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	163	188	4	100	4	n/a	n/a	0	459
1998	122	131	4	72	1	n/a	n/a	0	330
1999	104	143	1	82	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
2000	37	63	1	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	143
2001	30	61	0	214	3	n/a	n/a	0	308
2002	33	222	1	430	6	n/a	n/a	0	692
2003	33	222	1	430	6	n/a	n/a	0	692
2004	29	195	2	431	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
2005	24	130	1	395	1	n/a	n/a	20	571
2006	11	95	0	361	5	n/a	n/a	19	491
2007	7	71	0	327	0	n/a	n/a	19	424
2008	13	46	n/a	276	n/a	n/a	n/a	25	360
2009	9	59	0	343	1	n/a	n/a	18	430
2010	13	59	1	183	5	n/a	n/a	182	443
2011	19	67	0	348	4	0	13	0	451
2012	22	63	1	347	4	0	15	0	452
2013	21	58	0	380	2	2	11	0	474
2014	25	76	4	399	1	2	10	0	517
2015	18	80	6	424	0	1	10	0	539
2016	12	102	5	416	3	1	15	0	554
2017	11	107	6	431	3	1	13	0	572
2018	8	131	4	428	3	0	12	0	586
2019	10	143	2	412	1	0	8	0	576
2020	8	165	0	393	1	0	9	0	576
2021	8	155	0	375	0	0	11	0	549
2022	5	122	0	333	0	0	10	0	470
2023	10	115	7	341	0	0	9	0	482
2024	10	101	1	323	0	0	9	0	444

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Burton Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	459	40.0	11.5	56.2
1998	330	38.0	8.7	58.8
1999	331	23.0	14.4	57.4
2000	143	11.2	12.8	81.1
2001	308	14.0	22.0	90.9
2002	692	39.0	17.7	92.6
2003	692	39.0	17.7	92.6
2004	657	41.2	15.9	99.4
2005	571	39.7	14.4	103.1
2006	491	31.7	15.5	103.4
2007	424	28.8	14.7	102.7
2008	360	30.0	12.0	105.7
2009	430	28.4	15.1	101.5
2010	443	26.0	17.0	167
2011	451	28.4	15.8	98.7
2012	452	26.6	16.9	94.2
2013	474	28.0	16.8	91.4
2014	517	30.5	16.9	89
2015	539	27.0	19.9	95
2016	554	28.0	19.7	88.1
2017	572	29.9	19.1	96
2018	586	32.0	18.3	91.3
2019	576	29.3	19.6	87.3
2020	576	29.5	19.5	94.6
2021	549	31.4	17.4	96.5
2022	470	28.5	16.4	96.4
2023	482	27.4	17.5	89
2024	444	23.2	19.1	90.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Burton Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	459	40.0	11.5	56.2
1998	330	38.0	8.7	58.8
1999	331	23.0	14.4	57.4
2000	143	11.2	12.8	81.1
2001	308	14.0	22.0	90.9
2002	692	39.0	17.7	92.6
2003	692	39.0	17.7	92.6
2004	657	41.2	15.9	99.4
2005	571	39.7	14.4	103.1
2006	491	31.7	15.5	103.4
2007	424	28.8	14.7	102.7
2008	360	30.0	12.0	105.7
2009	430	28.4	15.1	101.5
2010	443	26.0	17.0	167
2011	451	28.4	15.8	98.7
2012	452	26.6	16.9	94.2
2013	474	28.0	16.8	91.4
2014	517	30.5	16.9	89
2015	539	27.0	19.9	95
2016	554	28.0	19.7	88.1
2017	572	29.9	19.1	96
2018	586	32.0	18.3	91.3
2019	576	29.3	19.6	87.3
2020	576	29.5	19.5	94.6
2021	549	31.4	17.4	96.5
2022	470	28.5	16.4	96.4
2023	482	27.4	17.5	89
2024	444	23.2	19.1	90.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Burton Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,504 (19.9%)	$10,068 (80.1%)	$12,571
2020	$1,632 (13.0%)	$10,885 (87.0%)	$12,518
2021	$2,390 (17.2%)	$11,531 (82.8%)	$13,921
2022	$4,813 (28.4%)	$12,105 (71.6%)	$16,918
2023	$5,272 (29.4%)	$12,636 (70.6%)	$17,908

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Burton Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 790^th of 792 Middle schools	Ranks 870^th of 883 Middle schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Burton Middle School)	9	4.2	4.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	24.9	26	1.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	41.7	37.5	4.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Burton Middle School)	8.8	5.9	2.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	23.9	24.4	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	42.7	36.9	5.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Burton Middle School)	15.1	24.8	9.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	43.1	43.3	0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	61.9	59.7	2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Burton Middle School)	5.2	5.5	0.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	23.4	18.9	4.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)	41.4	36.3	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	576	482	16.3%
African American	143	115	19.6%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	7	250%
Hispanic	412	341	17.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	10	10
Two or More Races	8	9	12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.3%	89%	1.7%

Schools Near Burton Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)			M-Step Math (2024)			M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Burton Middle School	Public	6-8	2133 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2269	444	23	19.1	90.3%	10 (2.3%)	101 (22.7%)	323 (72.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	4.4	891^st of 897 public middle schools	0.7%		5.2	870^th of 883 public middle schools	1.5%	21	15.9	3.6		2.4	4.0			3.6		7.9		2.9	$17,908	$5,272	$12,636
Alger Middle School	Public	6-8	921 Alger St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-6200	358	20	17.9	95.0%	26 (7.3%)	239 (66.8%)	61 (17.0%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.3%)	4.6	889^th of 897 public middle schools	0.9%		5.3	866^th of 883 public middle schools	1.9%	23	18.3			10.6	5.4			2.3		2.7			$19,291	$5,935	$13,356
Lee Middle School	Public	6-8	1335 Lee St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 452-3296	386	23	17.0	94.8%	29 (7.5%)	36 (9.3%)	302 (78.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.1%)	12.2	801^st of 897 public middle schools	10.7%		14.1	758^th of 883 public middle schools	14.2%	43	41.9	5.1		15.0	16.2		2.5	11.1		18.4		8.7	$14,886	$1,719	$13,167
Godwin Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Wexford St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Godwin Heights Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 252-2070	410	23	18.1	92.4%	50 (12.2%)	83 (20.2%)	240 (58.5%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	25.7	657^th of 897 public middle schools	26.8%		21.5	680^th of 883 public middle schools	23.0%	23	55.7	14.1		22.1	28.7		18.1	16.8		26.7		10.3	$19,373	$2,762	$16,611
Wyoming Intermediate	Public	5-6	1331 33rd St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Wyoming Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 530-7540	600	33	18.1	93.3%	146 (24.3%)	111 (18.5%)	295 (49.2%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.7%)								(n/a)			16.8	21.2		8.3	14.6		16.9		5.8		$14,165	$1,939	$12,227
Wyoming Junior High School	Public	7-8	2125 Wrenwood St SW	Wyoming	49519	Kent County	Wyoming Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 530-7590	546	29	18.6	91.9%	153 (28.0%)	103 (18.9%)	245 (44.9%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.3%)	23.2	679^th of 897 public middle schools	24.3%		20.2	694^th of 883 public middle schools	21.4%	15	51.3	14.8			24.0			13.6		22.7		16.2	$16,482	$2,669	$13,813
Grand Rapids Public Museum Middle	Public	6-8	272 Pearl St NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3600	169	10	16.2	66.9%	63 (37.3%)	43 (25.4%)	47 (27.8%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.7%)	34.2	575^th of 897 public middle schools	35.9%		44.9	456^th of 883 public middle schools	48.4%	119	64.8	24.1		21.1	15.7		15.8	13.7		37.0		29.6	$17,473	$5,184	$12,290
John Ball Park Zoo School	Public	6	1300 Fulton St W	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 819-3344	57	2	25.9	47.4%	43 (75.4%)	3 (5.3%)	4 (7.0%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (10.5%)								(n/a)				70.4			48.1						$16,187	$4,469	$11,718
Kelloggsville Middle School	Public	6-8	4650 Division Ave S	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kelloggsville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 532-1575	447	25	17.5	89.5%	75 (16.8%)	157 (35.1%)	192 (43.0%)	19 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	15.8	750^th of 897 public middle schools	16.4%		18.8	712^th of 883 public middle schools	19.4%	38	51.9	10.2		17.7	17.6		8.1	4.9		21.4		10.0	$14,825	$2,325	$12,501
East Grand Rapids Middle School	Public	6-8	2425 Lake Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	East Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 235-7551	662	34	19.4	9.8%	534 (80.7%)	12 (1.8%)	38 (5.7%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.1%)	97.5	11^th of 897 public middle schools	98.8%		98	10^th of 883 public middle schools	98.9%	1	92.0	75.0		63.4	73.4		66.2	64.4		68.8		63.8	$12,554	$632	$11,922

Burton Middle School

Burton Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Grand Rapids Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Burton Middle School

Rank History for all students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Burton Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Burton Middle School

Enrollment information for Burton Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Burton Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Burton Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Burton Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Burton Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Burton Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Burton Middle School

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