Middle Schools in Westwood Community School District

Westwood Community School District is home to just one middle school, Tomlinson Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 in Inkster, MI, a small school of 180 students facing profound socioeconomic challenges.

Tomlinson Middle School is the only option for middle school families in this district, and the data paints a clear picture of a school in crisis. Academic proficiency is critically low across nearly every subject. For example, only 5.3% of 7th graders are proficient in math, and just 9.6% are proficient in ELA, compared to state averages of 33.3% and 38.4%, respectively. 8th-grade science proficiency sits at 9.8% versus the state’s 39.2%. The school’s state ranking is in the bottom 3rd percentile, earning a 0-star rating. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is the chronic absenteeism rate of 72.9%—nearly three times the state average of 27.9%. With almost 97% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, poverty is a pervasive factor. Interestingly, the school spends a substantial $22,757 per student, well above typical levels, yet outcomes remain very poor, suggesting that money alone is not solving the deep-rooted issues of attendance and economic disadvantage.

There are a few small glimmers of hope. The 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency rate of 36.6% is a relative bright spot, significantly higher than the 7th-grade M-Step ELA score, suggesting some reading progress by 8th grade. Also, the school’s state percentile ranking has inched up from the 3rd to the 7th percentile over three years, indicating incremental improvement. However, math proficiency remains a critical weakness across all grades, hovering around 5-10%, which will severely limit future STEM opportunities. For parents, the key takeaway is that Tomlinson Middle School is a high-need school where absenteeism is the biggest barrier to learning. While the high spending and slight ranking improvement offer some hope, aggressive interventions to boost attendance and address poverty’s impacts are essential for any meaningful academic gains.