Portage Central Middle School

Summary:

Portage Central Middle School is a public middle school serving around 740 students in grades 6-8 in Portage, Michigan, which is part of the highly-ranked Portage Public Schools district.

Portage Central Middle School consistently outperforms state and district averages in academic metrics, with 42.5% of 6th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 40.6% for the Portage Public Schools district and 37.5% for the state of Michigan. The school also has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 15% of Michigan middle schools and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Portage Central Middle School performs well across different student subgroups, often ranking in the top quartile or top third of Michigan middle schools. While the school has seen fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, its most recent rate of 21.2% is still higher than the state's target of 10% or less.

Compared to nearby middle schools like Portage North Middle School and Portage West Middle School, Portage Central Middle School outperforms its counterparts in academic metrics. This high-performing school also has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 19.97% to 23.11% in recent years, and has seen an increase in per-student spending, from $10,592 in 2020-2021 to $12,465 in 2022-2023. Additionally, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio, ranging from 19.2 to 22.6 in recent years.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 8305 S Westnedge Ave
       Portage, MI  49002-5437


(269) 323-5600

District: Portage Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
107th of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,465 Help


Students who attend Portage Central Middle School usually attend:

High:    Portage Central High School

Feeder schools for Portage Central Middle School:

Elementary:    Central Elementary School
    Lake Center Elementary School
    Woodland Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.9 Help
Number of students:  750

Racial breakdown:

White:
77.3%
Two or more races:
8.7%
Hispanic:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.1% Help


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 Compare Portage Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Portage Central Middle School ranks better than 88.1% of middle schools in Michigan. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Portage Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.21. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Portage Central Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Portage Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (77.3%), two or more races (8.7%), Hispanic (6.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 23.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portage Central Middle School is 19.9, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Portage Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Portage Central Middle School employs 37.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portage Central Middle School is $12,465, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Portage Public Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Portage Central Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Portage Central Middle School 107th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Portage Central Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Portage Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Portage Public Schools 123rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Portage Central Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 80.73 109th 806 86.5%
2007 81.43 103rd 823 87.5%
2008 79.02 129th 839 84.6%
2009 82.27 93rd 847 89.0%
2010 75.74 181st 851 78.7%
2011 77.74 150th 858 82.5%
2012 74.69 187th 900 79.2%
2013 76.62 163rd 919 82.3%
2014 76.28 171st 921 81.4%
2015 84.00 96th 919 89.6%
2016 83.54 113th 894 87.4%
2017 79.79 118th 821 85.6%
2018 85.73 99th 838 88.2%
2019 81.16 120th 792 84.8%
2021 94.35 34th 675 95.0%
2022 80.99 106th 776 86.3%
2023 89.64 77th 883 91.3%
2024 83.21 107th 897 88.1%
See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.66 43rd 156 72.4%
2023 60.23 53rd 163 67.5%
2024 63.64 55th 176 68.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.15 48th 377 87.3%
2023 57.11 64th 199 67.8%
2024 47.72 83rd 201 58.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.74 223rd 815 72.6%
2019 69.11 137th 672 79.6%
2022 57.11 245th 691 64.5%
2023 69.00 163rd 825 80.2%
2024 56.69 289th 836 65.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.86 93rd 794 88.3%
2019 77.10 115th 658 82.5%
2021 91.29 36th 521 93.1%
2022 76.92 101st 657 84.6%
2023 86.25 75th 770 90.3%
2024 80.00 99th 771 87.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.46 107th 797 86.6%
2019 78.25 104th 639 83.7%
2021 94.17 23rd 540 95.7%
2022 78.33 104th 658 84.2%
2023 87.98 79th 776 89.8%
2024 80.64 114th 786 85.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 54.51 44th 87 49.4%
2024 43.88 55th 88 37.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.67 87th 266 67.3%
2023 81.72 27th 246 89.0%
2024 60.34 82nd 257 68.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Portage Central Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.37 121st 678 82.2%
2019 73.38 134th 624 78.5%
2021 93.61 26th 577 95.5%
2022 75.95 119th 638 81.3%
2023 86.19 77th 688 88.8%
2024 77.50 122nd 701 82.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for White 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.

Portage Central Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Portage Central Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 518 8 9 1 0 n/a n/a 0 536
1989 526 8 4 0 1 n/a n/a 0 539
1990 527 13 3 2 1 n/a n/a 0 546
1991 521 13 3 3 5 n/a n/a 0 545
1992 529 13 4 4 2 n/a n/a 0 552
1993 500 14 5 2 1 n/a n/a 0 522
1994 564 12 6 3 0 n/a n/a 0 585
1995 653 18 10 11 4 n/a n/a 0 696
1996 653 18 10 11 4 n/a n/a 0 696
1997 649 17 14 11 3 n/a n/a 0 694
1998 666 12 10 10 3 n/a n/a 0 701
1999 682 12 7 13 5 n/a n/a 0 719
2000 664 11 9 13 5 n/a n/a 0 702
2001 624 17 14 14 4 n/a n/a 0 673
2002 664 32 18 7 4 n/a n/a 0 725
2003 664 32 18 7 4 n/a n/a 0 725
2004 677 30 19 11 1 n/a n/a 1 739
2005 671 27 26 17 2 n/a n/a 1 744
2006 637 25 26 18 4 n/a n/a 3 713
2007 584 26 23 22 2 n/a n/a 6 663
2008 607 28 21 15 1 n/a n/a 7 679
2009 619 24 29 15 2 n/a n/a 10 699
2010 619 27 24 14 2 n/a n/a 15 701
2011 617 27 19 21 1 0 29 0 714
2012 592 33 19 18 1 2 33 0 698
2013 595 24 20 24 0 1 38 0 702
2014 580 16 22 30 0 1 41 0 690
2015 595 15 20 32 0 0 38 0 700
2016 553 11 22 29 0 0 39 0 654
2017 562 14 24 26 1 0 39 0 666
2018 563 18 25 33 1 0 50 0 690
2019 581 20 24 43 1 0 50 0 719
2020 573 20 26 44 0 0 51 0 714
2021 549 16 29 48 0 0 44 0 686
2022 591 22 27 37 0 0 52 0 729
2023 589 17 31 46 0 0 57 0 740
2024 580 20 37 48 0 0 65 0 750

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 Portage Central Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 536 n/a n/a n/a
1989 539 n/a n/a 3.2
1990 546 45.0 12.1 4.4
1991 545 n/a n/a n/a
1992 552 n/a n/a 5.4
1993 522 n/a 0.0 6.5
1994 585 34.0 17.2 4.8
1995 696 42.8 16.3 3.9
1996 696 42.8 16.3 3.9
1997 694 37.0 18.8 4.9
1998 701 39.0 18.0 5.3
1999 719 44.0 16.3 6.5
2000 702 42.1 16.7 13.1
2001 673 40.6 16.6 10.7
2002 725 34.6 21.0 14.5
2003 725 34.6 21.0 14.5
2004 739 46.1 16.0 15.7
2005 744 44.8 16.6 17.9
2006 713 43.2 16.5 18.3
2007 663 42.5 15.6 21.8
2008 679 41.3 16.4 22.3
2009 699 40.3 17.3 24.2
2010 701 40.5 17.3 26.1
2011 714 34.6 20.6 24.9
2012 698 32.5 21.4 26.4
2013 702 33.4 20.9 25.5
2014 690 30.7 22.4 23.5
2015 700 34.0 20.5 22.4
2016 654 34.0 19.2 21.1
2017 666 31.2 21.3 20.9
2018 690 30.5 22.5 24.1
2019 719 31.5 22.7 22.4
2020 714 32.4 22.0 21.3
2021 686 31.7 21.6 20
2022 729 32.1 22.6 21.5
2023 740 38.4 19.2 23.1
2024 750 37.6 19.9 23.1

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 Portage Central Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 536 n/a n/a n/a
1989 539 n/a n/a 3.2
1990 546 45.0 12.1 4.4
1991 545 n/a n/a n/a
1992 552 n/a n/a 5.4
1993 522 n/a 0.0 6.5
1994 585 34.0 17.2 4.8
1995 696 42.8 16.3 3.9
1996 696 42.8 16.3 3.9
1997 694 37.0 18.8 4.9
1998 701 39.0 18.0 5.3
1999 719 44.0 16.3 6.5
2000 702 42.1 16.7 13.1
2001 673 40.6 16.6 10.7
2002 725 34.6 21.0 14.5
2003 725 34.6 21.0 14.5
2004 739 46.1 16.0 15.7
2005 744 44.8 16.6 17.9
2006 713 43.2 16.5 18.3
2007 663 42.5 15.6 21.8
2008 679 41.3 16.4 22.3
2009 699 40.3 17.3 24.2
2010 701 40.5 17.3 26.1
2011 714 34.6 20.6 24.9
2012 698 32.5 21.4 26.4
2013 702 33.4 20.9 25.5
2014 690 30.7 22.4 23.5
2015 700 34.0 20.5 22.4
2016 654 34.0 19.2 21.1
2017 666 31.2 21.3 20.9
2018 690 30.5 22.5 24.1
2019 719 31.5 22.7 22.4
2020 714 32.4 22.0 21.3
2021 686 31.7 21.6 20
2022 729 32.1 22.6 21.5
2023 740 38.4 19.2 23.1
2024 750 37.6 19.9 23.1

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 Portage Central Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $317 (2.9%) $10,516 (97.1%) $10,833
2020 $332 (3.1%) $10,289 (96.9%) $10,621
2021 $532 (5.0%) $10,061 (95.0%) $10,592
2022 $478 (4.4%) $10,316 (95.6%) $10,794
2023 $786 (6.3%) $11,680 (93.7%) $12,465

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Portage Central 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 120th of 792 Middle schoolsRanks 77th of 883 Middle schools
 6.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Central Middle School)5758.5
 1.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Public Schools)5358.8
 5.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)41.737.5
 4.2%
6th Grade Math (Portage Central Middle School)49.847.6
 2.2%
   6th Grade Math (Portage Public Schools)51.145.9
 5.2%
   6th Grade Math (Michigan)35.129.6
 5.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Central Middle School)48.263
 14.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Public Schools)59.664.4
 4.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)42.736.9
 5.8%
7th Grade Math (Portage Central Middle School)4851
 3%
   7th Grade Math (Portage Public Schools)54.148.8
 5.3%
   7th Grade Math (Michigan)35.731
 4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Portage Central Middle School)40.743.5
 2.8%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Portage Public Schools)40.240.2
   8th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)2826.7
 1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Central Middle School)86.777.7
 9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Public Schools)84.376.1
 8.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)61.959.7
 2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Portage Central Middle School)61.355
 6.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Portage Public Schools)62.555.2
 7.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)41.436.3
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students719740
 2.9%
African American2017
 15%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian2431
 29.2%
Hispanic4346
 7%
Pacific Islander00
White581589
 1.4%
Two or More Races5057
 14%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients22.4%23.1%
 0.7%


Schools Near Portage Central Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Portage Central Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 750 students attended Portage Central Middle School.

Students who attend Portage Central Middle School usually go on to attend Portage Central High School

Portage Central Middle School ranks 107th of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Portage Central Middle School are 77% White, 9% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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