Upton Middle School

As a reasonably sized middle school in SAINT JOSEPH, Michigan, Upton Middle School enrolls 690 students from grades 6 through 8, operated by St. Joseph Public Schools. Compared to the state average of about 502 students per school, that is 37% above typical.

St. Joseph Public Schools comprises 5 schools with combined enrollment of 2,918 students; Upton Middle School is among them.

On demographics, Upton Middle School logs that 74% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school reports 8% Black, 8% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 5% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 19.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 21% of students at Upton Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Berrien County runs at roughly 55%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Upton Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 57.1%; this one delivers 58.0%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Berrien County put median household earnings sit near $65,425, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, 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), Upton Middle School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Lighthouse Education Center, roughly 0.7 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Upton Middle School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 56.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count showed little movement: 704 students in 2018 compared to 690 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 79% to 74% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 21.1:1 in 2018 to 19.1:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the Upton Middle School community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.