Portage Middle School

Summary:

Portage Middle School is a public middle school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving 436 students in grades 6-8. While the school is part of the Fort Wayne Community Schools district, it faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools, including high chronic absenteeism, low academic performance, and a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Portage Middle School has a chronic absenteeism rate of 32.6%, which is much higher than the rates at nearby schools like Northwood Middle (24.8%), Lane Middle (25.9%), and Shawnee Middle (23.9%). Additionally, the school consistently underperforms the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Math ILEARN assessments, with only 20.47% of students proficient or better in ELA and 15.58% in Math, compared to 28.81% and 25.36% for the district, respectively.

Despite the relatively high spending per student at Portage Middle School ($12,499 in 2021-2022), the school's academic performance lags behind the district and state averages. This raises questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need to explore strategies to improve student outcomes. While the school has a diverse student population, it has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Indiana middle schools, suggesting that Portage Middle School may face unique challenges that require targeted interventions to address the root causes of its underperformance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3521 Taylor St
Fort Wayne, IN 46802

(260) 467-4500

District: Fort Wayne Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
379^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,499

Students who attend Portage Middle School usually attend:

High:

Wayne High School

Feeder schools for Portage Middle School:

Elementary:	Lindley Elementary School
	South Wayne Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 405

Racial breakdown:

White:

30.9%

Hispanic:

30.6%

African American:

26.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.5%

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Compare Portage Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Portage Middle School ranks worse than 78.1% of middle schools in Indiana. It also ranks 6^th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.87. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Portage Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District. Student population at Portage Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (30.9%), Hispanic (30.6%), African American (26.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portage Middle School is 11.4, which is the lowest among 10 middle schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Portage Middle School employs 35.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portage Middle School is $12,499, which is the 2^nd highest among 10 middle schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Portage Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Portage Middle School 379^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Portage Middle School in the ranking list.)

Fort Wayne Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Wayne Community Schools 283^rd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Portage Middle School?

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Rank History for Portage Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	19.00	197^th	222	11.3%
2005	16.60	341^st	370	7.8%
2006	15.97	349^th	375	6.9%
2007	10.18	361^st	382	5.5%
2008	10.98	365^th	392	6.9%
2009	7.98	400^th	423	5.4%
2010	16.06	392^nd	428	8.4%
2011	20.78	396^th	451	12.2%
2012	42.38	307^th	447	31.3%
2013	30.85	351^st	444	20.9%
2014	24.94	392^nd	470	16.6%
2015	27.94	390^th	485	19.6%
2016	28.21	396^th	494	19.8%
2017	16.38	406^th	472	14.0%
2018	15.62	414^th	473	12.5%
2019	10.49	428^th	470	8.9%
2021	13.14	421^st	483	12.8%
2022	9.97	446^th	490	9.0%
2023	15.16	416^th	489	14.9%
2024	20.87	379^th	485	21.9%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Portage Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	430	97	3	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	561
1989	421	106	2	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	567
1990	409	111	2	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	555
1991	433	103	4	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	577
1992	421	76	4	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	520
1993	450	62	2	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
1994	462	64	3	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	561
1995	387	82	1	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	503
1996	387	82	1	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	503
1997	376	93	2	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	490
1998	396	96	5	32	3	n/a	n/a	0	532
1999	396	96	10	28	4	n/a	n/a	0	534
2000	392	110	7	29	3	n/a	n/a	0	541
2001	385	110	11	45	3	n/a	n/a	0	554
2002	395	120	12	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	593
2003	395	120	12	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	593
2004	391	129	16	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	603
2005	401	127	10	74	2	n/a	n/a	0	614
2006	415	107	8	77	3	n/a	n/a	0	610
2007	382	144	6	88	6	n/a	n/a	25	651
2008	318	118	9	75	4	n/a	n/a	22	546
2009	297	122	5	81	4	n/a	n/a	24	533
2010	278	76	2	72	3	n/a	n/a	32	463
2011	243	111	2	83	3	0	28	0	470
2012	233	104	7	105	3	2	23	0	477
2013	222	99	8	110	2	1	27	0	469
2014	233	93	5	115	1	1	43	0	491
2015	244	94	5	109	0	0	38	0	490
2016	214	85	8	80	0	0	36	0	423
2017	200	91	8	83	1	0	28	0	411
2018	200	103	3	96	0	0	42	0	444
2019	167	105	4	123	0	0	49	0	448
2020	158	111	5	124	0	2	58	0	458
2021	142	138	6	116	0	1	59	0	462
2022	131	131	7	126	0	1	41	0	437
2023	125	132	5	124	2	0	48	0	436
2024	125	106	4	124	1	0	45	0	405

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	561	31.2	17.9	39.9
1989	567	31.2	18.1	n/a
1990	555	31.2	17.7	32.4
1991	577	32.0	18.0	40.7
1992	520	35.0	14.8	37.3
1993	531	35.0	15.2	33.9
1994	561	34.0	16.5	33.5
1995	503	31.7	15.9	32.6
1996	503	31.7	15.9	32.6
1997	490	33.0	14.8	40.2
1998	532	32.0	16.6	38.3
1999	534	31.0	17.2	49.6
2000	541	32.5	16.6	46
2001	554	32.5	17.0	47.7
2002	593	33.5	17.7	58.7
2003	593	33.5	17.7	58.7
2004	603	32.5	18.6	65.3
2005	614	33.6	18.3	67.6
2006	610	34.5	17.7	65.7
2007	651	n/a	n/a	73.6
2008	546	37.1	14.7	75
2009	533	35.1	15.2	78.4
2010	463	34.7	13.3	79.8
2011	470	30.7	15.3	78.1
2012	477	32.0	14.9	80.1
2013	469	35.5	13.2	82.9
2014	491	31.0	15.8	83.5
2015	490	29.0	16.8	74.5
2016	423	26.0	16.2	73.3
2017	411	28.5	14.4	75.2
2018	444	28.5	15.5	81.5
2019	448	28.5	15.7	73.2
2020	458	30.0	15.2	72.7
2021	462	30.0	15.3	77.9
2022	437	32.5	13.4	80.1
2023	436	30.1	14.4	78.9
2024	405	35.4	11.4	77.5

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	561	31.2	17.9	39.9
1989	567	31.2	18.1	n/a
1990	555	31.2	17.7	32.4
1991	577	32.0	18.0	40.7
1992	520	35.0	14.8	37.3
1993	531	35.0	15.2	33.9
1994	561	34.0	16.5	33.5
1995	503	31.7	15.9	32.6
1996	503	31.7	15.9	32.6
1997	490	33.0	14.8	40.2
1998	532	32.0	16.6	38.3
1999	534	31.0	17.2	49.6
2000	541	32.5	16.6	46
2001	554	32.5	17.0	47.7
2002	593	33.5	17.7	58.7
2003	593	33.5	17.7	58.7
2004	603	32.5	18.6	65.3
2005	614	33.6	18.3	67.6
2006	610	34.5	17.7	65.7
2007	651	n/a	n/a	73.6
2008	546	37.1	14.7	75
2009	533	35.1	15.2	78.4
2010	463	34.7	13.3	79.8
2011	470	30.7	15.3	78.1
2012	477	32.0	14.9	80.1
2013	469	35.5	13.2	82.9
2014	491	31.0	15.8	83.5
2015	490	29.0	16.8	74.5
2016	423	26.0	16.2	73.3
2017	411	28.5	14.4	75.2
2018	444	28.5	15.5	81.5
2019	448	28.5	15.7	73.2
2020	458	30.0	15.2	72.7
2021	462	30.0	15.3	77.9
2022	437	32.5	13.4	80.1
2023	436	30.1	14.4	78.9
2024	405	35.4	11.4	77.5

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 Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,026 (9.9%)	$9,374 (90.1%)	$10,401
2020	$1,104 (9.9%)	$10,062 (90.1%)	$11,166
2021	$1,823 (15.0%)	$10,354 (85.0%)	$12,177
2022	$1,758 (14.1%)	$10,741 (85.9%)	$12,499

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Portage 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 428^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 416^th of 489 Middle schools	6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Middle School)	20.4	17.3	3.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	33.7	23.7	10%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Portage Middle School)	22.5	22	0.5%
6th Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	34.7	24.2	10.5%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Portage Middle School)	26.8	15.4	11.4%
6th Grade Science (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	36.5	24.2	12.3%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Middle School)	11.4	11.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	33.3	21.7	11.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Portage Middle School)	9.8	3.8	6%
7th Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	29.5	17.7	11.8%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Middle School)	21.4	18	3.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	35	27.2	7.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Portage Middle School)	17.5	9.6	7.9%
8th Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	24.7	17	7.7%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	448	436	2.7%
African American	105	132	25.7%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	123	124	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	167	125	25.1%
Two or More Races	49	48	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.2%	78.9%	5.7%

Schools Near Portage Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)				ILEARN Math (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Portage Middle School	Public	6-8	3521 Taylor St	Fort Wayne	46802	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-4500	405	35	11.4	77.5%	125 (30.9%)	106 (26.2%)	124 (30.6%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.1%)	20.9	379^th of 485 public middle schools	21.9%		15.2	416^th of 489 public middle schools	14.9%	37	21.1	23.9	16.1	20.5	20.3	19.6	6.5	15.6	$12,499	$1,758	$10,741
Kekionga Middle School	Public	6-8	2929 Engle Rd	Fort Wayne	46809	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-6600	519	39	13.1	74.2%	117 (22.5%)	138 (26.6%)	181 (34.9%)	36 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (8.9%)	13.3	421^st of 485 public middle schools	13.2%		15.9	413^th of 489 public middle schools	15.5%	8	17.4	20.7	17.4	18.5	10.5	9.5	0.6	7.0	$12,002	$1,872	$10,130
Miami Middle School	Public	6-8	8100 Amherst Dr	Fort Wayne	46819	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-8560	498	40	12.4	73.5%	89 (17.9%)	177 (35.5%)	96 (19.3%)	90 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.2%)	12.9	425^th of 485 public middle schools	12.4%		11.4	442^nd of 489 public middle schools	9.6%	17	19.6	15.5	17.8	17.6	10.3	7.1	5.7	7.7	$11,711	$1,652	$10,060
Memorial Park Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2200 Maumee Ave	Fort Wayne	46803	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(260) 467-5300	611	41	14.9	54.5%	222 (36.3%)	181 (29.6%)	131 (21.4%)	19 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.3%)	55.5	211^th of 485 public middle schools	56.5%		50.3	240^th of 489 public middle schools	50.9%	29	40.7	44.1	32.8	39.3	41.5	33.3	19.7	31.9	$12,518	$2,417	$10,101
Lakeside Middle School	Public	6-8	2100 Lake Ave	Fort Wayne	46805	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-8625	500	38	13.0	73.6%	156 (31.2%)	146 (29.2%)	101 (20.2%)	27 (5.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	67 (13.4%)	22.5	373^rd of 485 public middle schools	23.1%		25.1	367^th of 489 public middle schools	24.9%	6	19.0	19.6	27.8	22.3	25.0	14.7	9.6	16.2	$11,438	$1,404	$10,035
Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	4625 Werling Drive	Fort Wayne	46806	Allen County	Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(260) 441-8727	167	13	12.8	83.2%	1 (0.6%)	40 (24.0%)	14 (8.4%)	110 (65.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	7.8	467^th of 485 public middle schools	3.7%		5.8	479^th of 489 public middle schools	2.0%	12	9.8	14.3	12.2	12.2	2.0	1.8	4.1	2.6	$9,288	$2,988	$6,300
Summit Middle School	Public	6-8	4509 Homestead Rd	Fort Wayne	46814	Allen County	MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	No	No	No	No	(260) 431-2502	818	53	15.4	21.5%	665 (81.3%)	34 (4.2%)	48 (5.9%)	24 (2.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.5%)	83.9	63^rd of 485 public middle schools	87.0%		76.7	98^th of 489 public middle schools	80.0%	35	59.8	53.8	44.5	52.3	55.4	48.7	48.3	50.6	$9,182	$330	$8,851
Northwood Middle School	Public	6-8	1201 E Wash Ctr Rd	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 467-2930	591	40	14.9	66.5%	229 (38.7%)	121 (20.5%)	132 (22.3%)	36 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	72 (12.2%)	19	391^st of 485 public middle schools	19.4%		25.6	363^rd of 489 public middle schools	25.8%	28	19.1	20.9	24.6	21.6	16.6	10.5	11.1	12.8	$10,671	$1,042	$9,630
Lane Middle School	Public	6-8	4901 Vance Ave	Fort Wayne	46815	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 467-4400	693	48	14.4	70.7%	165 (23.8%)	219 (31.6%)	175 (25.3%)	67 (9.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (9.5%)	16.1	409^th of 485 public middle schools	15.7%		14.8	418^th of 489 public middle schools	14.5%	9	17.6	17.1	24.3	19.8	12.7	9.8	8.8	10.3	$10,322	$1,274	$9,048
Shawnee Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 E Cook Rd	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 467-6525	622	46	13.4	63.5%	232 (37.3%)	136 (21.9%)	149 (24.0%)	49 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.8%)	21.3	377^th of 485 public middle schools	22.3%		17.6	407^th of 489 public middle schools	16.8%	30	21.6	22.8	26.7	23.7	16.3	10.7	13.2	13.4	$10,090	$1,167	$8,923

Frequently Asked Questions about Portage Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Portage Middle School?

Students at Portage Middle School are 31% White, 31% Hispanic, 26% African American, 11% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Portage Middle School attend?

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

How many students attend Portage Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 405 students attended Portage Middle School.

What district is Portage Middle School in?

Fort Wayne Community Schools

Is Portage Middle School a good school?

Portage Middle School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Indiana middle schools.

Rate Portage Middle School!

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