Ring Lardner Middle School

Ring Lardner Middle School is a middle-of-the-pack middle school in NILES, Michigan, run under Niles Community Schools. The school works with 510 students in grades 6 through 8.

Within Niles Community Schools, which oversees 11 schools and 3,107 students, Ring Lardner Middle School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Ring Lardner Middle School shows that White students make up the majority at 65%. The remainder is composed of 12% multiracial, 11% Black, 11% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 74% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Ring Lardner Middle School reports 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 17.5:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 60% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Ring Lardner Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 39.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 35.1%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Berrien County indicate the typical household earns roughly $65,425 per year, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Berrien County's 75 public schools (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students), Ring Lardner Middle School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Niles Senior High School, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Ring Lardner Middle School operates from a city-core location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ring Lardner Middle School has fell 21%, going from 648 students in 2018 to 510 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 20.2:1 in 2018 to 17.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.