Best Public Schools in Southgate, MI

The city of Southgate, Michigan, is served by nine schools—six elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative program—that together enroll roughly 4,500 students, with the majority belonging to the Southgate Community School District and one independent charter, Creative Montessori Academy.

For parents, the standout choice is Allen Elementary School, which ranks in the 66th percentile statewide and outperforms every other school in the district despite having nearly 64% of students on free/reduced lunch. Its 4th grade math proficiency (56%) and 5th grade science proficiency (46.6%) both exceed state averages. Shelters Elementary School also shines in math, with 64.3% of 4th graders proficient versus the state’s 39.4%. Grogan Elementary School has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 21st to the 50th percentile in two years, and posts strong 5th grade social studies scores (47.2% vs. 27.5% statewide). At the secondary level, Davidson Middle School and Southgate Anderson High School both lag state averages, with SAT math proficiency at just 13.4% at the high school. The most concerning situation is Asher School, an alternative program with a 32.3% graduation rate, 91.1% chronic absenteeism, and a student-teacher ratio of 31.8:1—far worse than any other school.

A district-wide challenge is math: every grade and school falls below state proficiency, from Fordline Elementary School (12.1% in 5th grade math) to the high school. Fordline also spends the most per student ($22,306) yet produces the lowest scores, while North Pointe Elementary School and Creative Montessori spend far less and achieve better results. Chronic absenteeism tracks closely with performance—Allen and Grogan have the lowest rates (26.4% and 23.2%) and the best outcomes, while Asher’s 91.1% rate correlates with its struggles. Encouragingly, several schools are improving, suggesting targeted efforts are working, but the district overall ranks in the 37th percentile, indicating systemic issues with math instruction and resource allocation that parents should investigate when choosing a school.