Elementary Schools in Dearborn Heights School District #7

The three elementary schools in Dearborn Heights School District #7—Bedford School, Polk Elementary School, and Pardee School—serve grades PK-5 in a high-poverty suburban area, with enrollments between 337 and 389 students and free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 77% to 85%.

Bedford School is the clear academic leader and the only school showing consistent upward momentum, jumping from the 27th to 40th percentile statewide over two years. Its 3rd grade math proficiency rate of 55.4% actually beats the state average by 12.5 points, despite 82% of students qualifying for free lunch. Bedford also improved in nearly every subject year-over-year, including a 19.3-point jump in 3rd grade math. In contrast, Pardee School faces a math crisis—only about 1 in 10 students are proficient in 3rd and 4th grade math—though it has shown the most dramatic improvement overall, doubling its percentile ranking from 9th to 18th in two years. Polk Elementary School sits in the middle academically but has the highest poverty rate (84.5%) and has seen slight ranking declines.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide crisis, affecting roughly 2 out of every 5 students—10 to 17 points above the state average—with Bedford School highest at 45.3%. Across all schools, 3rd grade scores are the strongest, with significant declines by 5th grade, and social studies is a universal weakness—Polk Elementary School posts just 4.05% proficiency in 5th grade social studies. Notably, spending does not predict outcomes: Bedford School spends the most per student ($20,067) and performs best, but Polk Elementary School spends $904 more per student than Pardee School yet performs worse on most metrics. The variation among schools serving similar demographics proves that school-level strategies matter, and Bedford School’s success offers a model the district could replicate.