Best Public Schools in Taylor, MI

The city of Taylor, Michigan, is served by 16 public schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as alternative and virtual academies, operating within a high-poverty environment where an average of 78% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The educational landscape is split between the traditional Taylor School District and several independent charter academies, with performance varying dramatically across both sectors.

For parents, the standout options are the charter schools. Taylor Preparatory High School is the top-rated high school in the city, earning a 3-star rating and outperforming the state average in Science, Social Studies, and SAT Reading, all while spending less per student than the district high school. Similarly, Taylor Exemplar Academy (K-8) is the only school in the city ranked in the top half of Michigan schools, with strong English Language Arts scores that beat state averages in several grades. In contrast, the traditional district schools struggle; Hoover Middle School ranks in the bottom 5% statewide, and Myers Elementary School faces severe challenges with a 0th percentile rank and only 6% of third graders proficient in reading. Even within the district, there is a stark divide, as Robert J West Middle School significantly outperforms Hoover in 8th-grade PSAT English.

The most critical issue across Taylor is chronic absenteeism, which is alarmingly high at schools like Myers (75.9%) and Beacon Day Treatment Center (72.6%), directly correlating with low test scores. A consistent "ELA vs. Math" gap also exists, with proficiency in English far exceeding math at nearly every school, from Taylor High School (38% reading vs. 11% math) down to the elementary level. While Trillium Academy is the only school with a graduation rate above the state average, the success of the charter schools proves that higher achievement is possible in this community, making school choice a critical factor for parents.