Summary:
Dearborn Heights School District #7 is served by a single middle school, Oakley W Best Middle School, which enrolls 557 students in grades 6-8 in a predominantly economically disadvantaged community where nearly 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Oakley W Best Middle School has shown meaningful improvement over the past two years, climbing from the 16th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 33rd percentile in 2025-2026, though it still ranks in the bottom third of Michigan middle schools. The school spends a substantial $19,447 per student with a favorable 15.1 student-teacher ratio, yet academic proficiency remains a challenge. In 2025-2026, math scores were particularly concerning: only 14.2% of 6th graders and 21.6% of 7th graders were proficient on the M-Step, while 8th-grade PSAT math proficiency was just 17.6%. English language arts performance was mixed, with 6th-grade proficiency at 19.5%, 7th-grade at 27.8%, and 8th-grade PSAT ELA notably stronger at 51.2%. Science proficiency for 8th graders reached 24.7%, while social studies was the school's best subject at 49.4%, nearly matching the state average of 50.3%.
The most significant barrier to success at Oakley W Best Middle School is chronic absenteeism, which stands at a staggering 45.5%—far exceeding the state average of 27.9%. This means nearly half of students are missing enough school to seriously jeopardize their learning. Despite the high per-student spending, the disconnect between funding and outcomes suggests resources must be more strategically targeted toward attendance interventions and family support. Encouragingly, the school has shown strong year-over-year gains in several areas, including 7th-grade ELA jumping from 16.9% to 27.8% and 8th-grade science improving from 17% to 24.7%. The relative strength in 8th-grade reading and social studies suggests literacy foundations are developing, offering a potential pathway for future improvement if attendance challenges can be addressed.
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