Summary:
Dearborn Heights School District #7 serves approximately 2,381 students across six schools in Michigan, including three elementary schools (Bedford School, Polk Elementary, Pardee School), one middle school (Oakley W Best Middle School), and two high schools (Annapolis High School and Dearborn Heights Virtual Academy), with the district overall ranking in the 21st percentile statewide.
For parents, the standout school is Bedford School, which despite having the highest poverty rate among elementary schools (82.3% free/reduced lunch), achieves the strongest academic results in the district — ranking in the 40th percentile and posting 3rd grade math proficiency of 55.4%, more than double the district average of 27.8% and above the state average. In contrast, Polk Elementary School and Pardee School show dramatically lower 3rd grade math proficiency (17.4% and 11.9%, respectively), despite serving similar demographics. Oakley W Best Middle School is the district's improver, climbing from the 16th to 33rd percentile in two years, with 8th grade social studies proficiency (49.4%) nearly matching the state average. Annapolis High School maintains a graduation rate of 86.3% that exceeds the state average, but struggles with only 5.6% of 11th graders proficient in SAT math. The Dearborn Heights Virtual Academy, with just 42 students, has the lowest chronic absenteeism (24.0%) but the worst graduation rate (64.1%) and highest per-student spending ($28,098).
The district faces a severe chronic absenteeism crisis, with 45.1% of students chronically absent — 1.6 times the state rate — and Annapolis High School exceeding 52.8%. Math proficiency declines progressively from 27.8% in 3rd grade to just 5.6% by 11th grade, representing a cumulative failure that leaves 94.4% of juniors non-proficient. However, positive trajectories at Bedford and Oakley W Best demonstrate that improvement is possible, and the district's above-average per-student spending provides resources to address these challenges.
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