Hillside Middle School

Summary:

Hillside Middle School is a public middle school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving 512 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district, which is ranked 421 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillside Middle School faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 50.98% African American, significantly higher than the surrounding schools. The school consistently underperforms the state and district averages in academic assessments, with only 29.2% of 6th-grade students proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 37.5% and the district average of 28.8%. Additionally, Hillside Middle School has experienced a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 19.4% in 2020-2021 to 57.6% in 2022-2023, much higher than the state and district averages. The school also has a high percentage of students (71.48%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a lower socioeconomic status compared to the surrounding schools.

While Milwood Magnet School, another middle school in the Kalamazoo Public Schools district, has a more diverse student population and slightly better academic performance, it still underperforms the state averages. In contrast, several middle schools in the neighboring Portage Public Schools district, such as Portage Central Middle School, Portage West Middle School, and Portage North Middle School, consistently outperform Hillside Middle School and the Kalamazoo Public Schools district as a whole.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1941 Alamo Ave
       Kalamazoo, MI  49006-1603


(269) 337-0570

District: Kalamazoo Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
579th of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,039 Help


Students who attend Hillside Middle School usually attend:

High:    Kalamazoo Central High School

Feeder schools for Hillside Middle School:

Elementary:    Northglade Montessori School
    Spring Valley Center for Exploration

Student/teacher ratio:  20.4 Help
Number of students:  512

Racial breakdown:

African American:
51.0%
White:
31.3%
Two or more races:
10.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  71.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Hillside Middle School ranks worse than 64.5% of middle schools in Michigan. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.8. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Hillside Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: African American (51%), White (31.3%), two or more races (10.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 71.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hillside Middle School is 20.4, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Hillside Middle School employs 25 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hillside Middle School is $17,039, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hillside Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Hillside Middle School 579th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Hillside Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Kalamazoo Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kalamazoo Public Schools 421st of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Hillside Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 30.81 664th 806 17.6%
2007 25.04 699th 823 15.1%
2008 31.50 685th 839 18.4%
2009 35.63 664th 847 21.6%
2010 19.72 755th 851 11.3%
2011 18.04 772nd 858 10.0%
2012 24.75 729th 900 19.0%
2013 23.22 735th 919 20.0%
2014 27.97 702nd 921 23.8%
2015 36.13 605th 919 34.2%
2016 32.35 613th 894 31.4%
2017 22.71 630th 821 23.3%
2018 30.38 623rd 838 25.7%
2019 16.67 672nd 792 15.2%
2022 25.66 576th 776 25.8%
2023 25.70 643rd 883 27.2%
2024 33.80 579th 897 35.5%
See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.19 85th 156 45.5%
2019 16.50 45th 51 11.8%
2022 56.45 24th 65 63.1%
2023 13.04 153rd 163 6.1%
2024 25.65 136th 176 22.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.44 154th 154 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.89 273rd 377 27.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.00 681st 815 16.4%
2019 5.64 657th 672 2.2%
2022 16.88 607th 691 12.2%
2023 14.53 734th 825 11.0%
2024 13.82 754th 836 9.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.34 587th 794 26.1%
2019 15.21 580th 658 11.9%
2022 21.20 536th 657 18.4%
2023 24.08 592nd 770 23.1%
2024 29.95 547th 771 29.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.37 556th 797 30.2%
2019 11.57 590th 639 7.7%
2022 21.79 524th 658 20.4%
2023 20.33 617th 776 20.5%
2024 29.56 560th 786 28.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.29 290th 366 20.8%
2019 8.95 195th 196 0.5%
2022 19.14 159th 182 12.6%
2023 17.55 279th 310 10.0%
2024 21.93 244th 300 18.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.34 164th 266 38.3%
2023 47.24 124th 246 49.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Hillside Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.79 246th 678 63.7%
2019 55.31 244th 624 60.9%
2022 71.92 141st 638 77.9%
2023 64.73 196th 688 71.5%
2024 78.40 117th 701 83.3%
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.

Hillside Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Hillside Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 219 213 6 7 5 n/a n/a 0 450
1989 208 178 5 7 17 n/a n/a 0 415
1990 286 229 5 26 6 n/a n/a -1 551
1991 307 238 4 15 6 n/a n/a 2 572
1992 331 246 2 42 15 n/a n/a 0 636
1993 327 252 4 36 8 n/a n/a 0 627
1994 327 254 5 12 4 n/a n/a 0 602
1995 310 237 7 21 7 n/a n/a 0 582
1996 310 237 7 21 7 n/a n/a 0 582
1997 303 277 8 21 7 n/a n/a 0 616
1998 321 289 10 17 4 n/a n/a 0 641
1999 331 292 7 19 1 n/a n/a 0 650
2000 284 312 7 25 4 n/a n/a 0 632
2001 299 302 6 25 4 n/a n/a 0 636
2002 271 324 4 20 8 n/a n/a 0 627
2003 271 324 4 20 8 n/a n/a 0 627
2004 238 296 3 23 7 n/a n/a 0 567
2005 200 296 9 25 5 n/a n/a 0 535
2006 213 293 12 15 5 n/a n/a 0 538
2007 218 274 10 20 2 n/a n/a 0 524
2008 239 266 15 30 2 n/a n/a 0 552
2009 249 264 48 0 5 n/a n/a 0 566
2010 192 309 9 25 10 n/a n/a 0 545
2011 155 314 5 36 7 0 0 0 517
2012 164 340 7 31 6 0 10 0 558
2013 178 345 8 29 2 0 18 0 580
2014 206 301 9 31 2 0 22 0 571
2015 210 292 7 37 1 0 20 0 567
2016 203 276 7 43 2 0 45 0 576
2017 182 305 5 53 1 0 52 0 598
2018 169 297 8 43 1 0 57 0 575
2019 170 303 4 45 1 0 63 0 586
2020 164 268 2 46 1 0 57 0 538
2021 170 280 3 55 0 0 54 0 562
2022 139 285 2 36 1 0 53 0 516
2023 160 261 3 34 0 1 53 0 512

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 Hillside Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 450 n/a n/a n/a
1989 415 n/a n/a 38.3
1990 551 47.0 11.7 39.9
1991 572 n/a n/a n/a
1992 636 n/a n/a 34.7
1993 627 n/a 0.0 41
1994 602 37.0 16.3 32.4
1995 582 36.9 15.8 38.1
1996 582 36.9 15.8 38.1
1997 616 38.0 16.2 38
1998 641 40.0 16.0 36.5
1999 650 40.0 16.3 35.2
2000 632 41.5 15.2 47.3
2001 636 41.6 15.3 44.8
2002 627 40.6 15.4 48.8
2003 627 40.6 15.4 48.8
2004 567 43.0 13.2 52.6
2005 535 36.7 14.6 55.3
2006 538 36.3 14.8 54.1
2007 524 35.0 15.0 51.7
2008 552 36.2 15.2 51.8
2009 566 35.7 15.9 50.2
2010 545 32.7 16.6 66.8
2011 517 30.1 17.1 68.3
2012 558 28.3 19.6 70.1
2013 580 28.4 20.3 69.8
2014 571 28.5 20.0 66.9
2015 567 28.0 20.2 70.4
2016 576 29.0 19.8 58.7
2017 598 29.4 20.3 70.2
2018 575 30.6 18.7 71.7
2019 586 30.6 19.1 72.2
2020 538 29.1 18.4 72.5
2021 562 25.9 21.6 73.3
2022 516 21.9 23.5 73.8
2023 512 25.0 20.4 71.5

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 Hillside Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 450 n/a n/a n/a
1989 415 n/a n/a 38.3
1990 551 47.0 11.7 39.9
1991 572 n/a n/a n/a
1992 636 n/a n/a 34.7
1993 627 n/a 0.0 41
1994 602 37.0 16.3 32.4
1995 582 36.9 15.8 38.1
1996 582 36.9 15.8 38.1
1997 616 38.0 16.2 38
1998 641 40.0 16.0 36.5
1999 650 40.0 16.3 35.2
2000 632 41.5 15.2 47.3
2001 636 41.6 15.3 44.8
2002 627 40.6 15.4 48.8
2003 627 40.6 15.4 48.8
2004 567 43.0 13.2 52.6
2005 535 36.7 14.6 55.3
2006 538 36.3 14.8 54.1
2007 524 35.0 15.0 51.7
2008 552 36.2 15.2 51.8
2009 566 35.7 15.9 50.2
2010 545 32.7 16.6 66.8
2011 517 30.1 17.1 68.3
2012 558 28.3 19.6 70.1
2013 580 28.4 20.3 69.8
2014 571 28.5 20.0 66.9
2015 567 28.0 20.2 70.4
2016 576 29.0 19.8 58.7
2017 598 29.4 20.3 70.2
2018 575 30.6 18.7 71.7
2019 586 30.6 19.1 72.2
2020 538 29.1 18.4 72.5
2021 562 25.9 21.6 73.3
2022 516 21.9 23.5 73.8
2023 512 25.0 20.4 71.5

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 Hillside Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $903 (7.1%) $11,859 (92.9%) $12,762
2020 $954 (7.0%) $12,727 (93.0%) $13,680
2021 $1,314 (9.9%) $11,917 (90.1%) $13,230
2022 $2,333 (14.4%) $13,921 (85.6%) $16,254
2023 $1,714 (10.1%) $15,326 (89.9%) $17,039

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hillside 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 672nd of 792 Middle schoolsRanks 643rd of 883 Middle schools
 12%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Middle School)22.827.1
 4.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Kalamazoo Public Schools)31.531.2
 0.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)41.737.5
 4.2%
6th Grade Math (Hillside Middle School)21.217.4
 3.8%
   6th Grade Math (Kalamazoo Public Schools)26.720.6
 6.1%
   6th Grade Math (Michigan)35.129.6
 5.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Middle School)24.132.9
 8.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Kalamazoo Public Schools)35.833.1
 2.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)42.736.9
 5.8%
7th Grade Math (Hillside Middle School)20.818.8
 2%
   7th Grade Math (Kalamazoo Public Schools)29.721.9
 7.8%
   7th Grade Math (Michigan)35.731
 4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Hillside Middle School)15.911.8
 4.1%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Kalamazoo Public Schools)24.321
 3.3%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)2826.7
 1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Middle School)35.137.4
 2.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Kalamazoo Public Schools)46.446.4
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)61.959.7
 2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Hillside Middle School)20.217.4
 2.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Kalamazoo Public Schools)32.725.8
 6.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)41.436.3
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students586512
 12.6%
African American303261
 13.9%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian43
 25%
Hispanic4534
 24.4%
Pacific Islander01
White170160
 5.9%
Two or More Races6353
 15.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients72.2%71.5%
 0.7%


Schools Near Hillside Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Hillside Middle School

Hillside Middle School ranks 579th of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 512 students attended Hillside Middle School.

Students who attend Hillside Middle School usually go on to attend Kalamazoo Central High School

Students at Hillside Middle School are 51% African American, 31% White, 10% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.


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





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