Grosse Ile Township Schools

Grosse Ile Township Schools is a small, highly-rated district on an island in the Detroit River, serving about 1,180 students in grades PK-12 across three schools: Grosse Ile Elementary School (PK-5), Grosse Ile Middle School (6-8), and Grosse Ile High School (9-12). The district ranks in the top 8% of Michigan districts with a 5-star rating, and its schools serve a predominantly low-poverty student population, with only about 10% qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

The standout performer is Grosse Ile Elementary School, which ranks in the 94th percentile statewide and earns a 5-star rating. Its proficiency rates are exceptional—5th grade math proficiency (69.6%) is more than double the state average (32.2%), and 5th grade science (71.3%) far exceeds the state (40%). This school also has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 14.9%. Grosse Ile High School is the college readiness leader, with a perfect 100% graduation rate, 0% dropout rate, and 73% of 11th graders proficient in SAT Reading/Writing (state: 52.1%). Grosse Ile Middle School is a consistent performer, ranking in the 82-83rd percentile for three straight years, with particular strength in 8th grade Social Studies (61.8% vs. 50.3% statewide).

The district's biggest challenge is a dramatic decline in math proficiency as students advance. While elementary students achieve 61-72% proficiency in math, middle school drops to 39-46%, and by 11th grade only 32.8% are proficient in SAT Math—a nearly 40-point drop from 3rd grade. This mirrors state trends but is more pronounced given the strong elementary foundation. Another paradox is that chronic absenteeism at the secondary level (25.3% at middle school, 25.4% at high school) is surprisingly high despite low poverty and high achievement. The middle school also shows year-over-year volatility in some subjects, such as 7th grade ELA swinging from 43.9% to 63.2% in one year. Overall, this is a high-performing, well-funded district (spending $15,972-$16,451 per student) with excellent elementary education and strong reading/writing outcomes, but secondary math intervention may be needed to ensure all students are truly college-ready.