High Schools in Garden City Public Schools

The two high schools in Garden City Public Schools—Garden City High School and Cambridge Alternative High School—serve roughly 1,154 students in grades 9-12 in a suburban Detroit district, but they offer vastly different educational experiences and outcomes.

Garden City High School is the district's clear academic leader, enrolling 896 students and ranking in the 37th percentile statewide. Its graduation rate of 93.7% exceeds the state average by nearly 10 points, and it approaches state averages in SAT Reading/Writing (47.5% proficient vs. 52.1% statewide). However, math remains a critical weakness—only 14.1% of 11th graders are proficient on SAT Math, roughly half the state rate. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 41%, well above the 27.9% state average, though its performance is improving year-over-year. By contrast, Cambridge Alternative High School serves a much higher-need population (72.1% free/reduced lunch) with far lower outcomes: a 54.5% graduation rate, 23.3% dropout rate, and 77.5% chronic absenteeism. Proficiency rates at Cambridge are dramatically lower across every subject—just 6.8% in Social Studies and 11.1% in SAT Reading/Writing—placing it in the 4th percentile statewide.

The most striking finding is the resource disparity: Cambridge receives less per-student funding ($14,423 vs. $16,423) and has a higher student-teacher ratio (23.8:1 vs. 18.1:1) despite serving students with far greater needs. District averages mask this divide—the overall 73.4% graduation rate hides the fact that Garden City High School performs well while Cambridge Alternative lags nearly 30 points behind the state. For parents, this means the traditional high school offers a solid, improving education with strong graduation outcomes, but both schools face systemic challenges in math achievement and absenteeism that families should consider when evaluating options in this district.