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Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Q: Is Palmer Park Preparatory Academy a good school?

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy ranks 1012 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1012^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy is an elementary school serving 376 students in grades PK-8 in a low-income area of Detroit, Michigan. Despite higher per-student spending, the school has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom 20-25% of Michigan elementary schools over the past 4 years.

Academically, Palmer Park Preparatory Academy significantly lags behind the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the state of Michigan. In 2024-2025, only 29.4% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA compared to 38.9% statewide, and just 23.5% were proficient in math compared to 42.7% statewide. The school also faces extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 66.1% over the past 3 years, much higher than district and state averages.

While nearby schools like Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Greenfield Union Elementary/Middle, and Bagley Elementary perform similarly, Bates Academy, a public magnet school about 1.5 miles away, significantly outperforms Palmer Park and other nearby schools. Bates has much higher proficiency rates in ELA (over 50% in 3rd grade) and math (over 60% in 3rd grade), as well as lower chronic absenteeism, suggesting systemic challenges in this area of Detroit that require a more comprehensive approach to address the needs of the community.

405

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,792

Per pupil spending ?

59.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3901 Margareta St
Detroit, MI 48221-2260

(313) 494-7300

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

Students who attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy usually attend:

High:

Mumford High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

84.0%

White:

11.9%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Palmer Park Preparatory Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2022 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2022

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (18% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (37% vs 28% Michigan)

!Mathematics scores 25 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg15%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

1,012^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 20 pts since 2022

From bottom 12% (2022) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

812^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 9%▲ up 8 pts since 2023

From bottom 1% (2023) to bottom 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 65Elementary Schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District

549^th of 613Detroit Public Schools Community District among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	1012 of 1488	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.8	1184 of 1486	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.9	1238 of 1470	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.3	1183 of 1344	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	160 of 369	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.7	208 of 348	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	201 of 321	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.5	91 of 158	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.4	417 of 475	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	854 of 1338	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.0	1090 of 1342	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	1118 of 1321	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	1408 of 1443	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	30.9	950 of 1346	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	1178 of 1381	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	1150 of 1350	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	1363 of 1397	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	923 of 1366	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.9	1100 of 1347	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.1	1142 of 1334	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.2	1399 of 1446	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	10.4	812 of 890	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.4	845 of 897	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.0	873 of 883	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	277 of 338	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	246 of 300	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	300 of 310	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.2	340 of 366	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	9.3	739 of 789	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	743 of 771	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.0	775 of 794	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	8.0	803 of 832	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	805 of 836	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.4	816 of 825	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	791 of 815	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	751 of 798	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	719 of 786	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.6	767 of 776	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.9	782 of 797	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2025)57th percentile+25 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)18th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)6th percentile~ school

Male (2025)6th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts29%-12 vs state

Science17%-23 vs state

Math16%-20 vs state

Social Studies13%-25 vs state

Mathematics5%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)					M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palmer Park Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3901 Margareta St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7300	405	25	16.2	59.8%	48 (11.9%)	340 (84.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.5%)	30	1012^th of 1488 public elementary schools	32.0%		18.8	1184^th of 1486 public elementary schools	20.3%	172	22.1	5.2	29.4	42.3	52.4	24.0	16.7	23.5	11.5	19.1	14.0	13.0	42.9	10.4	23.8	10.4	$21,792	$2,466	$19,327
Bagley Elementary School of Journalism and Technology	Public	PK, KG-6	8100 Curtis St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7175	374	22	17.2	85.8%	0 (0.0%)	364 (97.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	15.9	1247^th of 1488 public elementary schools	16.2%		13	1287^th of 1486 public elementary schools	13.4%	40			18.2	17.5	11.5	20.8		27.3	30.0	5.8	20.8		11.5				$19,189	$2,043	$17,146
Pasteur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	19811 Stoepel St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7314	310	27	11.6	89.4%	0 (0.0%)	306 (98.7%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.7	1305^th of 1488 public elementary schools	12.3%		9.7	1350^th of 1486 public elementary schools	9.2%	45			14.3	18.8	17.6	25.0		12.2	9.1		12.5		22.6		13.3		$23,738	$3,623	$20,115
Mary McLeod Bethune ElementaryMiddle School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	8145 Puritan St	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 494-3830	692	46	15.1	92.2%	1 (0.1%)	679 (98.1%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	10.7	1340^th of 1488 public elementary schools	9.9%		17.6	1209^th of 1486 public elementary schools	18.6%	131	23.3		11.8	18.3	7.7	23.0	7.6	9.3	21.1		14.8	12.3	5.4	11.1	9.7	20.8	$19,341	$1,945	$17,395
Bates Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	19701 Wyoming St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7000	773	42	18.3	61.1%	0 (0.0%)	770 (99.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	90.5	114^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.3%		84.5	193^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	87.0%	79	80.0	41.1	51.8	68.9	82.7	73.2	71.6	71.4	62.2	56.8	56.1	58.9	72.8	43.8	46.9	62.9	$18,447	$1,840	$16,607
MacDowell Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4201 W Outer Dr	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	MacDowell Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8141	362	22	16.4	90.9%	1 (0.3%)	359 (99.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.2	1443^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	3.0%					(n/a)	39.4		9.3	18.5	8.3	12.8	26.8	5.6						12.1		12.1	$13,377	$153	$13,224
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	15531 Linwood St	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8820	451	34	13.4	89.1%	3 (0.7%)	438 (97.1%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.6	1381^st of 1488 public elementary schools	7.2%		5.6	1450^th of 1486 public elementary schools	2.4%	69	17.0	10.6		13.5	6.8	16.0			13.5		11.5	16.7		14.6		10.4	$21,092	$2,573	$18,519
Greenfield Union ElementaryMiddle School	Public	1-8	420 W 7 Mile Rd	Detroit	48203	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-2999	185	15	12.1	91.4%	1 (0.5%)	175 (94.6%)	8 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.1	1357^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.8%					(n/a)	33.3				13.0		17.4	16.7	13.0	12.5			12.5	18.8	12.5	56.3	$21,356	$2,348	$19,007
Schulze Academy for Technology and Arts	Public	PK, KG-8	10700 Santa Maria St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 340-4400	630	34	18.5	88.4%	1 (0.2%)	620 (98.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	7.9	1401^st of 1488 public elementary schools	5.8%		6.7	1419^th of 1486 public elementary schools	4.5%	18	29.7	6.8	8.1	12.8	12.8	20.0	13.4	9.5	5.1	10.3	7.5	6.1	9.0	17.3	6.4	13.3	$19,450	$1,961	$17,489
Martin Luther King Junior Education Center Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	16827 Appoline St	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	Martin Luther King Junior Education Center Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 341-4944	234	10	23.4	84.2%	49 (20.9%)	183 (78.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10.4	1350^th of 1488 public elementary schools	9.3%		23.6	1108^th of 1486 public elementary schools	25.4%	242	41.2		10.7	9.7		20.0	20.0	21.4				15.0		18.8		18.8	$00	$00	$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

What schools do graduates of Palmer Park Preparatory Academy attend?

Students who attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Mumford High School

Is Palmer Park Preparatory Academy a good school?

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy ranks 1012^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 405 students attended Palmer Park Preparatory Academy.

What district is Palmer Park Preparatory Academy in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

What is the racial makeup of Palmer Park Preparatory Academy?

Students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy are 84% African American, 12% White, 2% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.