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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·FOREST AREA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS·NCES 261457000097

Forest Area Middle School

7661 SHIPPY RD SW, FIFE LAKE, MI 49633 · (231) 369-2884 · Kalkaska County
GRADES 04–08MIDDLE42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL193 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded

This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work

Enrollment
193
Middle
DISTRICT 164 · STATE 502
Student : Teacher
14.3:1
13 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.0:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
56%
109 students
DISTRICT 54% · STATE 55%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 43820%
Grade 53820%
Grade 64021%
Grade 73920%
Grade 83820%
Student demographics
20%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 25% · STATE 56% · US 70%
White
17289%
DISTRICT 86% · STATE 63% · US 43%
Hispanic
32%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 9% · US 30%
Black
32%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 18% · US 15%
Two+
105%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 5% · US 5%
Native American
53%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 1% · US 1%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
8946%
Female
10454%

School pathway

Students here typically continue to
Forest Area Middle School→Forest Area High School
Feeds from
Fife Lake Elementary SchoolPK–03
Based on grade levels within Forest Area Community Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.

Discussions

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Schools most like Forest Area Middle School

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Forest Area Middle School this school19356.5%N/A
Roscommon Middle School
ROSCOMMON
17857.9%37.0%
Union City Middle School
UNION CITY
24557.6%40.4%
Benzie Central Middle School
BENZONIA
23956.1%36.2%
David C Outwin Middle School
HESPERIA
19860.1%N/A
Addison Middle School
ADDISON
16451.8%38.5%
Matched among Michigan middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Forest Area Middle School ranks

Among middle schools
MeasureThis schoolIn Michigan
Enrollment
ranked largest first
193#440 of 491
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
56.5%#169 of 477
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
193
-4 (-2%) vs 2020
-6% since 2000-01, when it was 205
Student : Teacher
14.3:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2519313.514.3:156% (109)
2023-2419012.415.4:165% (123)
2022-232121119.3:163% (133)
2020-211971216.4:171% (139)
2017-181781017.7:169% (122)
2015-16196921.8:175% (147)
2010-11145818.1:163% (91)
2000-012051217.1:10% (0)
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Forest Area Middle School.

Since 2017-18: students up 8% (178 to 193); teachers up 34% (10 to 13.5).

About Forest Area Middle School

Forest Area Middle School is a small middle school serving families in FIFE LAKE, Michigan. Grades offered run from 4 through 8, with 193 students enrolled. The average among middle schools in Michigan is roughly 502 students; this school is 62% smaller than that.

Forest Area Community Schools operates 3 schools. Combined enrollment is 493 students.

The student body at Forest Area Middle School is 89% White. The rest of enrollment is 5% multiracial and 3% Native American. That is close to the 93% White share among all Kalkaska County residents. Forest Area Middle School's diversity index is 20%, against a US figure of 70%.

The school reports 13.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to about 14.3 students per teacher. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 17.5:1 average for middle schools in Michigan. The free or reduced-price lunch share, often used to gauge student poverty, is 56%. For comparison, public schools in Kalkaska County average 55%.

Census Bureau estimates for Kalkaska County show that the median household income is $68,578, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 19% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 8%. There are 8 public schools in Kalkaska County, enrolling about 1,728 students in all.

Nearby, Forest Area High School is less than a tenth of a mile away. Within five miles of Forest Area Middle School, there are 2 other public schools.

Forest Area Middle School falls in the Rural: Distant locale category, used for schools in rural territory some distance from an urban area.

Enrollment in 2024-25 was 193, close to the 197 recorded in 2020-21. The ratio was 16.4:1 in 2020-21 and 14.3:1 in 2024-25.

The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Forest Area Middle School covering things like sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.

Kalkaska County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
18,239
Census ACS
Median income
$68,578
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
19%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
8
1,728 students

Quick facts

School name
Forest Area Middle School
District
Forest Area Community Schools
Address
7661 SHIPPY RD SW, FIFE LAKE, MI 49633
Phone
(231) 369-2884
County
Kalkaska County
Level
Middle
Grade range
04–08
Total enrollment
193
Teachers (FTE)
13
Student–teacher ratio
14.3:1
Free and reduced lunch
109 (56%)
Locale
42-Rural: Distant
NCES ID
261457000097
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Forest Area Community Schools
Other schools in FIFE LAKE
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Forest Area Middle School
What is the total enrollment at Forest Area Middle School?
Forest Area Middle School enrolls approximately 193 students in grades 04-08.
What grades does Forest Area Middle School serve?
Forest Area Middle School serves grades 04-08.
How many students per teacher at Forest Area Middle School?
Approximately 14.3:1 students per teacher at Forest Area Middle School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Forest Area Middle School?
At Forest Area Middle School, the student body is approximately 89% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Black, 5% Two or more.
Is Forest Area Middle School public or private?
Forest Area Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Forest Area Community Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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