Detroit Public Safety Academy

Detroit Public Safety Academy is a single public high school in Detroit serving grades 6 through 12 with 156 students, operating as its own district (Detroit Public Safety Academy) and ranking in the bottom 5% of Michigan schools.

For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is a striking paradox: academic test scores are very low, yet the school graduates students at a rate that beats the state average. Proficiency rates are dramatically below Michigan averages—for example, only 15.6% of 10th graders are proficient in ELA compared to 58% statewide, and 11th grade science proficiency sits at 11.8% versus 34.9% statewide. However, the graduation rate is a strong 89.2%, which is 5.2 points above the state average, and the dropout rate of 5.3% is better than the state’s 7.1%. This suggests the school is effective at keeping students enrolled and seeing them through to a diploma, even if they are not meeting state academic benchmarks. The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism: 70.2% of students are chronically absent, nearly 2.5 times the state rate of 27.9%. This likely explains the low test scores, as students who miss significant school days cannot master the material. The school also serves a high-poverty population, with 82.69% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, a factor that often correlates with lower academic performance.

On a positive note, social studies proficiency improved from 9.09% to 15.79% between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, showing some momentum even though it remains far below state levels. The school’s specialized public safety focus may provide career motivation that helps retain students who might otherwise drop out. Ranking has fluctuated between the 3rd and 6th percentile over three years, but the school has consistently earned zero stars. For parents, this school offers a supportive path to graduation in a small, career-focused environment, but they should be aware of the significant academic challenges and the need to address attendance issues to improve student outcomes.