Old Redford Academy Middle School

Old Redford Academy Middle School is a small public charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 241 students in grades 5 through 8, where 78.4% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school is part of the Old Redford Academy district, which ranks near the bottom of all Michigan districts, and the school itself has consistently placed in the bottom 10% of middle schools statewide.

Academic performance is dramatically below state averages and most nearby schools. For example, only 10.4% of 5th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 43.8%. By contrast, Riley Upper Elementary School in Livonia, just 4.5 miles away, had a 62.6% proficiency rate—a six-fold difference. The most pressing issue, however, is chronic absenteeism: 69.5% of students missed 10% or more of the school year, more than double the state average of 27.9%. Nearby Dearborn STEM Middle School has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.7%, and even John D Pierce Middle School, which also struggles academically, has a rate of 38.6%. This high absenteeism is likely the biggest barrier to student success.

There are a few bright spots worth noting. The school spends a substantial $17,021 per student—more than higher-performing nearby schools like Emerson Middle School ($16,589)—yet outcomes remain low, suggesting resource allocation challenges. However, 8th-grade PSAT English scores jumped to 37.8% proficiency in 2024-2025, much closer to the state average than any other subject. The school's state ranking has also slowly improved from the 1st to the 8th percentile over several years. Compared to LincolnKing AdamsYoung 68, a similar charter school 2 miles away with comparable demographics and rankings, Old Redford's absenteeism is notably more severe, though both face similar systemic challenges common to high-poverty schools in the area.