Lake Fenton Proving to be Elite

While many schools in the state of Michigan are struggling, shrinking and financially in shambles, have been able to buck the trend.

The school has grown each year for nearly the past decade and has consistently put up some of the best MEAP scores in the state.

Lake Fenton Middle School held an assembly Thursday where Principal Dan Ferguson gave a presentation on the MEAP results. He said the sixth, seventh and eighth-graders had the highest scores in the county. He also praised the elementary school staff for preparing students.

"We have the best staff around," he said.

Ferguson also praised the students' character, as the eighth-graders were named Volunteer of the Year by the North End Soup Kitchen in Flint. He then challenged students to keep up the good work.

Lake Fenton Superintendent Wayne Wright expects that trend toward recognition as one of the best schools around to continue.

“I expect growth in the next two years and for the MEAP scores to continue to increase,” he said. “I believe we have two major things going for us in a nice facility and excellent MEAP scores. We also have an excellent staff.”

Lake Fenton’s 2010 MEAP scores ranked as the highest in Genesee County.

In 2010, Lake Fenton scored 32.1 percentage points higher than the state average (47.8 percent proficient) in seventh-grade reading, with a score of 79.9. The school also performed well in eighth-grade science, with a score that was 16 percentage points higher (94.1) than the state average (78.1).

Also in 2010, Lake Fenton's math scores rose nearly across the board. The most improvement was seen in sixth grade, as the percentage proficient increased from 83.3 to 96.5. Seventh-grade scores went from 88 percent to 93.5 percent.

The reading scores dropped a bit from 2009 to 2010, but were very high to begin with.

“We think we have an excellent staff. The scores show that the teachers are able to convey the curriculum to students.” Wright said. “We are very proud of the teachers, students and administration all working together.”

Also, while many Michigan schools have struggled with declining enrollments, Lake Fenton has had the opposite problem, as the district expanded to 1,840 students in 2010, up 43 from the last year and 63 from two years ago.

The district also expanded by 66 students between 2005 and 2008.

“It’s a good problem to have," Wright said. "As population grows, we will be adding staff to counteract that growth.”

The school's reputation is gaining attention.

When Ginger Kramer’s children were approaching school age, her family had to decide which district would be best for them. They choose Lake Fenton, where they have a kindergartner, preschooler and another future Blue Devil.

“We liked the small-school feel with the benefit of knowing everyone. So far, we have been very happy with the school system. The teachers are very friendly and always welcome parent help or parent participation,” Kramer said. “I honestly didn't even know that LF has the highest MEAP scores in the county. That is just icing on the cake.”

In January, Lake Fenton bought three properties on Lahring Road adjacent to the school for $30,000, which will allow for future expansion if needed.

“There are no specific plans for it," Wright said. "It just made sense. If we ever need it, it’s there.”

The school has come a long way since the district began as a Class D school. In 1972 it moved up to Class C. The school reached Class B in 1997 before promptly dropping back down to Class C from 1997 until 2005, when it returned to Class B.

There is no town of Lake Fenton. Rather, the district encompasses 27 square miles in parts of the city of Fenton, Fenton Township, Grand Blanc, Linden and Mundy Township.

“There isn’t a Lake Fenton ZIP code,” Ferguson said. “We don’t have a mayor or a city council. The community center and focal point are our schools."