High Schools in Academy for Business and Technology

Academy for Business and Technology High School is the sole high school within the Academy for Business and Technology district, serving grades 6 through 12 in Melvindale, Michigan, with a total enrollment of 231 students and a highly favorable 11.7:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Academy for Business and Technology High School faces severe academic challenges, with proficiency rates running 20 to 45 percentage points below state averages across nearly every subject and grade level. The most critical concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 56%—double the state average of 27.9%—and likely drives much of the low performance. In English Language Arts, only 13.79% of 10th graders are proficient compared to 58% statewide, and just 10.5% of 11th graders scored proficient on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section versus 55.4% statewide. Math and science scores are similarly low, with 7th grade math proficiency at 9.38% compared to 33.3% statewide. The school's ranking has improved from the 1st percentile in 2024-2025 to the 6th percentile in 2025-2026, but it remains firmly in the bottom tier of Michigan high schools.

Despite these academic struggles, there are some positive signs. The graduation rate of 88% actually exceeds the state average of 84%, though the dropout rate of 8% is also slightly above the state's 7.1%. The school serves an almost exclusively low-income population, with 98.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and the small class sizes offer potential for more individualized attention if attendance can be improved. Year-to-year test scores show significant volatility—for example, 8th grade ELA PSAT proficiency dropped from 32.4% to 17.1% between school years—which may reflect the small cohort sizes of roughly 33 students per grade. Parents should understand that the school's primary challenges are attendance and literacy, and that addressing these will likely require intensive interventions and wraparound services to overcome the socioeconomic barriers students face outside the classroom.