Is Brandywine Middle School a good school?

Brandywine Middle School ranks 482 nd of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Brandywine Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 191 students attended Brandywine Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Brandywine Middle School?

Students at Brandywine Middle School are 80% White, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% African American, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Brandywine Middle School attend?

Students who attend Brandywine Middle School usually go on to attend Brandywine Senior High School

Brandywine Middle School

Summary:

Brandywine Middle School is a public middle school located in Niles, Michigan, serving grades 7-8 with a student population of 191. The school is part of the Niles Community Schools district, which is ranked 339 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Brandywine Middle School faces several key challenges, including a lack of academic achievement, high chronic absenteeism, and a student population that is predominantly white and from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's academic performance, as measured by M-Step and PSAT test scores, is consistently below the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 7th-grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts (29.9%) and Math (24.4%) were significantly lower than the state averages of 37.9% and 32.1%, respectively. Additionally, Brandywine Middle School has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 17.1% in 2018-2019 to 35.9% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Brandywine Middle School's performance lags behind many of its nearby counterparts, such as Lakeshore Middle School, FC Reed Middle School, and Edwardsburg Middle School, which consistently outperform Brandywine on state assessments and have higher overall school rankings. The school's spending per student has increased from $9,841 in 2019-2020 to $13,244 in 2022-2023, suggesting that increased funding has not yet translated into improved academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 7-8

1700 Bell Rd
Niles, MI 49120-4670

(269) 683-4800

District: Brandywine Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
482^nd of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,244

Students who attend Brandywine Middle School usually attend:

High:

Brandywine Senior High School

Feeder schools for Brandywine Middle School:

Elementary:	Brandywine Elementary School
	Merritt Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.1

Number of students: 191

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.1%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Hispanic:

7.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.1%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Brandywine Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Brandywine Middle School ranks worse than 53.7% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.18. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Racial makeup is: White (80.1%), two or more races (7.9%), Hispanic (7.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Brandywine Middle School is 18.1. (See more...)

Compare Brandywine Middle School employs 10.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Brandywine Middle School is $13,244.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Brandywine Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Brandywine Middle School 482^nd of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Brandywine Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Brandywine Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Brandywine Community Schools 339^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Brandywine Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	40.38	612^th	806	24.1%
2007	58.04	450^th	823	45.3%
2008	50.16	553^rd	839	34.1%
2009	61.81	415^th	847	51.0%
2010	55.38	513^th	851	39.7%
2011	51.38	549^th	858	36.0%
2012	48.78	484^th	900	46.2%
2013	43.09	559^th	919	39.2%
2014	34.39	649^th	921	29.5%
2015	38.97	580^th	919	36.9%
2016	37.82	562^nd	894	37.1%
2017	21.46	639^th	821	22.2%
2018	45.08	484^th	838	42.2%
2019	50.78	354^th	792	55.3%
2021	31.00	467^th	675	30.8%
2022	31.12	533^rd	776	31.3%
2023	45.67	447^th	883	49.4%
2024	43.18	482^nd	897	46.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.20	86^th	163	47.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	47.09	438^th	815	46.3%
2019	57.29	251^st	672	62.6%
2021	30.94	390^th	523	25.4%
2022	35.48	461^st	691	33.3%
2023	59.10	268^th	825	67.5%
2024	57.73	281^st	836	66.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	43.65	455^th	794	42.7%
2019	44.96	344^th	658	47.7%
2021	25.19	414^th	521	20.5%
2022	29.47	483^rd	657	26.5%
2023	43.82	402^nd	770	47.8%
2024	29.06	555^th	771	28.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	44.27	434^th	797	45.5%
2019	48.24	300^th	639	53.1%
2021	29.18	387^th	540	28.3%
2022	24.41	505^th	658	23.3%
2023	39.82	459^th	776	40.9%
2024	46.28	401^st	786	49.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Brandywine Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	31.91	475^th	678	29.9%
2019	45.28	318^th	624	49.0%
2021	23.78	452^nd	577	21.7%
2022	17.31	557^th	638	12.7%
2023	33.58	465^th	688	32.4%
2024	31.17	500^th	701	28.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Brandywine Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	213	2	2	7	0	n/a	n/a	224
2002	237	11	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	254
2003	237	11	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	254
2004	230	9	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	250
2005	210	13	2	10	2	n/a	n/a	237
2006	218	6	2	14	1	n/a	n/a	241
2007	196	11	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	220
2008	165	16	n/a	14	1	n/a	n/a	196
2009	192	10	2	10	3	n/a	n/a	217
2010	212	5	3	5	3	n/a	n/a	228
2011	178	2	2	14	1	0	10	207
2012	163	0	1	10	2	0	14	190
2013	192	4	2	15	1	0	9	223
2014	156	9	3	19	0	0	3	190
2015	161	6	1	13	0	0	9	190
2016	178	9	1	10	0	0	12	210
2017	186	9	0	16	1	0	8	220
2018	209	7	2	13	5	0	15	251
2019	168	7	2	15	4	0	20	216
2020	159	6	0	16	4	0	19	204
2021	158	5	2	9	3	0	11	188
2022	149	5	4	11	4	0	23	196
2023	153	5	2	14	2	0	15	191

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 Brandywine Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	224	15.1	14.8	0
2002	254	17.5	14.5	n/a
2003	254	17.5	14.5	n/a
2004	250	17.4	14.4	n/a
2005	237	16.4	14.5	n/a
2006	241	12.7	19.0	0
2007	220	13.0	16.9	42.3
2008	196	13.0	15.1	44.9
2009	217	13.5	16.1	50.2
2010	228	12.8	17.7	60.5
2011	207	11.5	17.9	56
2012	190	10.8	17.5	57.4
2013	223	10.8	20.5	61.9
2014	190	10.5	18.0	68.4
2015	190	10.0	19.0	62.1
2016	210	11.0	19.0	57.1
2017	220	10.6	20.6	60.5
2018	251	11.5	21.8	64.9
2019	216	11.6	18.5	66.2
2020	204	11.3	17.9	62.7
2021	188	10.8	17.3	59
2022	196	10.6	18.3	62.2
2023	191	10.5	18.1	68.1

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 Brandywine Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	224	15.1	14.8	0
2002	254	17.5	14.5	n/a
2003	254	17.5	14.5	n/a
2004	250	17.4	14.4	n/a
2005	237	16.4	14.5	n/a
2006	241	12.7	19.0	0
2007	220	13.0	16.9	42.3
2008	196	13.0	15.1	44.9
2009	217	13.5	16.1	50.2
2010	228	12.8	17.7	60.5
2011	207	11.5	17.9	56
2012	190	10.8	17.5	57.4
2013	223	10.8	20.5	61.9
2014	190	10.5	18.0	68.4
2015	190	10.0	19.0	62.1
2016	210	11.0	19.0	57.1
2017	220	10.6	20.6	60.5
2018	251	11.5	21.8	64.9
2019	216	11.6	18.5	66.2
2020	204	11.3	17.9	62.7
2021	188	10.8	17.3	59
2022	196	10.6	18.3	62.2
2023	191	10.5	18.1	68.1

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 Brandywine Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$570 (6.4%)	$8,330 (93.6%)	$8,900
2020	$635 (6.5%)	$9,206 (93.5%)	$9,841
2021	$1,148 (10.8%)	$9,524 (89.2%)	$10,672
2022	$751 (6.7%)	$10,409 (93.3%)	$11,160
2023	$837 (6.3%)	$12,407 (93.7%)	$13,244

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Brandywine 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 354^th of 792 Middle schools	Ranks 447^th of 883 Middle schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Brandywine Middle School)	33.7	30.2	3.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Brandywine Community Schools)	34	30.2	3.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	42.7	36.9	5.8%
7th Grade Math (Brandywine Middle School)	30.7	33.7	3%
7th Grade Math (Brandywine Community Schools)	30.2	33.7	3.5%
7th Grade Math (Michigan)	35.7	31	4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Brandywine Middle School)	27.7	25.7	2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Brandywine Community Schools)	26.3	26.2	0.1%
8th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	28	26.7	1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Brandywine Middle School)	67.9	59	8.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Brandywine Community Schools)	67.8	59.2	8.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	61.9	59.7	2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Brandywine Middle School)	44.6	23	21.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Brandywine Community Schools)	43.2	23.3	19.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)	41.4	36.3	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	216	191	11.6%
African American	7	5	28.6%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	15	14	6.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	168	153	8.9%
Two or More Races	20	15	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.2%	68.1%	1.9%

Schools Near Brandywine Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)			M-Step Math (2024)			M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Brandywine Middle School	Public	7-8	1700 Bell Rd	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Brandywine Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 683-4800	191	11	18.1	68.1%	153 (80.1%)	5 (2.6%)	14 (7.3%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.9%)	43.2	482^nd of 897 public middle schools	46.3%		45.7	447^th of 883 public middle schools	49.4%	35	62.2	22.0			29.9			24.4		39.8		24.1	$13,244	$837	$12,407
Ring Lardner Middle School	Public	6-8	801 N 17th St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 683-6610	554	27	20.7	66.2%	385 (69.5%)	44 (7.9%)	71 (12.8%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.3%)	46.4	454^th of 897 public middle schools	49.4%		43.8	471^st of 883 public middle schools	46.7%	17	59.9	26.6		35.1	39.2		29.2	34.9		24.4		25.4	$12,664	$2,258	$10,406
Edwardsburg Middle School	Public	6-8	69230 Section St	Edwardsburg	49112	Cass County	Edwardsburg Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 663-1031	643	30	21.5	36.1%	564 (87.7%)	3 (0.5%)	42 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.0%)	88	85^th of 897 public middle schools	90.5%		88.3	87^th of 883 public middle schools	90.1%	2	80.9	47.4		56.9	54.7		50.2	50.7		57.0		52.8	$10,939	$539	$10,399
Buchanan Middle School	Public	5-7	610 W 4th St	Buchanan	49107	Berrien County	Buchanan Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 695-8406	331	19	17.7	51.1%	278 (84.0%)	8 (2.4%)	19 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.6%)	80	130^th of 897 public middle schools	85.5%		63.9	256^th of 883 public middle schools	71.0%	126			55.3	53.0	54.0	39.5	41.6	42.1	55.3		21.9		$12,097	$375	$11,722
Berrien Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	502 Middle School Drive	Berrien Springs	49103	Berrien County	Berrien Springs Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 471-2796	408	29	13.9	69.4%	159 (39.0%)	116 (28.4%)	70 (17.2%)	24 (5.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (1.0%)	34 (8.3%)	53.4	355^th of 897 public middle schools	60.4%		58.5	297^th of 883 public middle schools	66.4%	58	65.5	32.6		35.4	37.6		25.3	26.2		43.1		31.9	$15,580	$1,866	$13,714
Eau Claire Middle School	Public	6-8	7450 Hochberger Rd	Eau Claire	49111	Berrien County	Eau Claire Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 461-6997	158	5	28.9	91.8%	43 (27.2%)	35 (22.2%)	71 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.7%)	10.9	818^th of 897 public middle schools	8.8%		9.9	807^th of 883 public middle schools	8.6%	11	41.1	10.7		8.7	14.0			6.8		8.2			$11,465	$2,078	$9,388
Dowagiac Middle School	Public	6-8	57072 Riverside Dr	Dowagiac	49047	Cass County	Dowagiac Union School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 782-4440	408	23	17.4	71.8%	237 (58.1%)	25 (6.1%)	78 (19.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (16.2%)	43.3	479^th of 897 public middle schools	46.6%		31.2	597^th of 883 public middle schools	32.4%	118	59.5	23.1		40.3	38.0		20.2	20.7		30.3		28.6	$14,865	$1,808	$13,057
Cassopolis Middle School	Public	6-8	725 Center St	Cassopolis	49031	Cass County	Cassopolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 445-0503	210	14	14.6	62.4%	129 (61.4%)	24 (11.4%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (24.3%)	16.9	736^th of 897 public middle schools	17.9%		15.2	743^rd of 883 public middle schools	15.9%	7	41.9	6.8		12.9	25.8		17.7	12.9		21.9		8.2	$13,345	$2,435	$10,910
FC Reed Middle School	Public	5-8	10254 California	Bridgman	49106	Berrien County	Bridgman Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 465-5410	243	21	11.7	39.1%	208 (85.6%)	7 (2.9%)	11 (4.5%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	91.1	66^th of 897 public middle schools	92.6%		87	96^th of 883 public middle schools	89.1%	30	86.4	52.5	55.7	68.9	63.9	44.3	62.3	49.2	51.4	50.0	27.1	51.7	$19,920	$722	$19,197
Lakeshore Middle School	Public	6-8	1459 W John Beers Rd	Stevensville	49127	Berrien County	Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	No	No	No	No	(269) 428-1408	611	35	17.2	35.0%	501 (82.0%)	25 (4.1%)	46 (7.5%)	17 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.3%)	84.4	102^nd of 897 public middle schools	88.6%		86.7	98^th of 883 public middle schools	88.9%	4	74.8	52.0		54.1	46.9		54.1	57.3		54.0		39.6	$13,207	$1,347	$11,860

Brandywine Middle School

Brandywine Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Brandywine Community Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for all students at Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Brandywine Middle School

Rank History for White students at Brandywine Middle School

Enrollment information for Brandywine Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Brandywine Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Brandywine Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Brandywine Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Brandywine Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Brandywine Middle School