Best Public Schools in Melvindale, MI

The city of Melvindale, Michigan, is served by three public schools—Allendale Elementary School (grades K-3), Julian O Strong Middle School (grades 6-8), and Academy for Business and Technology High School (grades 6-12)—which together form a complete educational path from early elementary through high school, with the first two belonging to the Melvindale-Northern Allen Park Schools district and the high school operating under the separate Academy for Business and Technology charter district.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that all three schools face significant challenges, but they are not equal in performance. Allendale Elementary is the strongest of the three, holding the highest state percentile ranking (23rd) and the only 1-star rating. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 22.2% and the best test scores, particularly in 5th-grade ELA (37.4% proficient) and math (24.3%). In contrast, Academy for Business and Technology High School is the most struggling, with a 0-star rating, a 4th percentile state ranking, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 56%—meaning most students are regularly missing class. Julian O Strong Middle School sits in the middle, but shows a troubling pattern: while its 6th-grade scores improved significantly in 2025-2026, its 7th-grade scores dropped sharply in both ELA and math, suggesting a specific grade cohort may be struggling.

Economically, all schools serve a highly disadvantaged population, with free/reduced lunch rates between 90% and 98.7%. Academic proficiency is below state averages across every subject and grade level, and chronic absenteeism exceeds the state average (27.9%) at every school. One surprising bright spot: despite its low test scores and high poverty, the high school posts an 88% graduation rate, above the state average of 84%. Also notable is the spending disparity—the middle school spends $18,674 per student versus $15,948 at the elementary, while the high school reports $0 in per-student spending, yet it has the best student-teacher ratio at 11.7:1. Overall, these schools face systemic hurdles, but parents may find that Allendale offers the most stable academic environment, while the high school shows resilience in getting students to graduation.