Wayne-Westland Community School District

The Wayne-Westland Community School District serves approximately 8,576 students across 15 schools in Westland, Wayne, Inkster, and Canton, Michigan, including 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools, with the district ranking in the 11th percentile statewide.

For parents comparing schools, PD Graham Elementary School stands out as the district's strongest elementary option, ranking in the 25th percentile with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (34.6%) and best 5th-grade science scores (29.4% proficiency). John Glenn High School is the clear choice at the secondary level, boasting an 89.9% graduation rate that exceeds the state average and a dropout rate of just 4.5%—less than half the district rate. In contrast, David Hicks School faces the most significant challenges, ranking in the 2nd percentile with a 62% chronic absenteeism rate and only 8.7% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA. Taft-Galloway Elementary School has also declined sharply, dropping to the 7th percentile with 3rd-grade math proficiency falling to just 10.3%. Meanwhile, Alexander Hamilton Elementary School showed the most dramatic improvement, jumping from the 14th to 22nd percentile, and Wildwood Elementary School posted the district's highest 3rd-grade math score at 34.1%.

The district faces a systemic math crisis, with proficiency rates below half of state averages at nearly every grade level—6th-grade math sits at just 7.6% versus 31.9% statewide, and SAT math proficiency is only 7.9%. Chronic absenteeism affects 46.5% of students district-wide, more than double the state average, and correlates strongly with performance: Wayne Memorial High School reports 56.3% absenteeism and significantly underperforms John Glenn despite similar demographics. Notably, the district spends between $17,000-$23,000 per student—competitive with higher-performing districts—yet outcomes remain low, suggesting funding alone isn't the solution. Roosevelt-McGrath Elementary School spends the most ($23,399/student) with the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.9:1) but achieves only mid-pack results, while Walker-Winter Elementary School spends far less ($16,950) with similar outcomes. The presence of bright spots like John Glenn and PD Graham demonstrates that progress is achievable, but addressing attendance and math instruction will be critical for district-wide improvement.