Fair Plain Middle School

Fair Plain Middle School operates as a close-knit junior high in BENTON HARBOR, Michigan, one of the schools within Benton Harbor Area Schools. Current enrollment sits at 240 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 502 students per school, that is 52% below typical.

Across the 6 schools in Benton Harbor Area Schools (1,227 students total), Fair Plain Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Fair Plain Middle School lists that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (91%). Beyond that, the school lists 4% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 13% Black, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Fair Plain Middle School records 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.9:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 96% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Berrien County's rate of about 55%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Berrien County put median household income runs about $65,425, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Berrien County runs 75 public schools (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students), of which Fair Plain Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Fair Plain East Elementary, roughly 0.8 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Fair Plain Middle School.

Fair Plain Middle School operates from a commuter-belt location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Fair Plain Middle School has ticked down 45%, going from 437 students in 2018 to 240 in 2025. Class-load math has tightened: from 27.3:1 in 2018 to 10.9:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.