Middle Schools in Dearborn City School District

The Dearborn City School District is home to 8 middle schools serving grades 6-8 (with Salina Intermediate serving grades 4-8), collectively educating roughly 4,300 students in a district that ranks in the 57th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating.

For parents, the standout options are Lowrey Middle School and Bryant Middle School. Lowrey is the district's most improved school, jumping to the 79th percentile, and achieves remarkable math results—68.9% of 6th graders are proficient versus a 42.3% district average—despite having the lowest per-student spending ($14,371) and a 90.62% free/reduced lunch rate. Bryant is the largest school (781 students) and consistently earns 4-star ratings, ranking in the 78th percentile with strong ELA scores (52.8% in 6th grade). Dearborn STEM Middle School is a unique outlier with historical #1 state rankings and a stunning 92.86% science proficiency rate, plus the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at just 7.7%. At the other end, Woodworth Middle School and Unis Middle School rank in the 30th-40th percentiles with 2-star ratings, showing 6th-grade math proficiency as low as 24.9% (Woodworth).

Key takeaways: chronic absenteeism is a district-wide issue, with six of eight schools exceeding the state average of 27.9%—though the top performers (Bryant at 26.4%, Dearborn STEM at 7.7%) have the lowest rates. Science is a universal weakness, with most schools scoring 10-30% proficiency versus the 39.2% state average. Spending varies dramatically (from $14,371 to $22,556 per student), yet higher spending doesn't guarantee better results—Stout Middle School spends 57% more than Lowrey but ranks lower. The district splits into two tiers: upper (Bryant, Lowrey, Stout at 68th-79th percentile) and lower (Smith, Salina, Woodworth, Unis at 39th-55th percentile), with a 44-point gap in 6th-grade math between the best and worst schools. Salina Intermediate faces unique challenges spanning grades 4-8, while Smith Middle School shows notable year-over-year volatility in test scores.