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Gardner Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1348^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Gardner Elementary School in Detroit, MI, serves approximately 239 students in Pre-K through 5th grade within the Detroit Public Schools Community District, located near the Dearborn border in a densely populated educational corridor. The school has a high-poverty population, with 80.3% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and spends a substantial $24,447 per pupil annually.

Despite an overall state ranking in the bottom 10% of Michigan elementary schools, Gardner shows genuine pockets of strength that parents should know about. The school performs remarkably well with English Language Learner (ELL) students, ranking in the 57th percentile statewide in 2025-2026—a dramatic improvement from the 10th percentile just five years earlier. African American students also perform well above the school's overall average, ranking in the 48th-59th percentile in recent years. However, chronic absenteeism remains a critical challenge, affecting 60.2% of students in 2024-2025. While this is a significant improvement from 85% in 2021-2022, it remains more than double the state average of 27.9%. The school also shows an unusual pattern of improving performance in later grades—5th-grade reading proficiency (23.1%) and math proficiency (20%) both exceed district averages, suggesting students who stay enrolled gain momentum by upper elementary.

The most striking comparison is with nearby Dearborn City School District schools less than a mile away. Maples Elementary School (53rd percentile) and Oakman Elementary School (63rd percentile) serve similarly high-poverty populations yet achieve dramatically better results—for example, 3rd-grade reading proficiency at Oakman is 46.3% versus Gardner's 8.6%. These Dearborn schools also maintain chronic absenteeism rates of 25-30%, roughly half of Gardner's rate. Among charter options, Warrendale Charter Academy outperforms Gardner in most subjects despite spending nearly $10,000 less per student. Gardner's gradual improvement trajectory—rising from the 5th to 10th percentile overall, with improving attendance and strong ELL and African American student outcomes—provides a foundation to build on, though the school clearly faces significant challenges in translating its pockets of success into consistent achievement across all grades and subjects.

239

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,447

Per pupil spending ?

80.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

90.3%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

6528 Mansfield St
Detroit, MI 48228-5209

(313) 581-4615

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Cody High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.3%

White:

37.7%

Hispanic:

13.8%

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Compare Gardner Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 5th percentile in 2019 → 10th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2019

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (15% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (60% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg15%

Michigan avg38%

1,348^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 5 pts since 2019

From bottom 5% (2019) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd of 64Elementary Schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District

541^st of 625Detroit 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	11.1	1348 of 1492	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.5	1385 of 1488	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	1365 of 1486	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	1321 of 1470	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.5	1339 of 1408	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	202 of 388	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.4	151 of 369	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.1	194 of 348	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.5	427 of 475	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	81 of 188	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.9	124 of 180	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.8	244 of 270	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	7.7	1275 of 1342	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	1349 of 1443	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	21.1	1116 of 1352	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.8	1123 of 1346	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	1245 of 1381	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	1163 of 1350	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.6	1059 of 1099	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	1228 of 1397	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	1152 of 1372	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.2	1152 of 1366	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	1187 of 1347	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	1171 of 1334	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.1	1295 of 1446	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	1035 of 1199	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.7	1141 of 1198	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.6	1208 of 1253	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)57th percentile+47 vs school

African American (2026)48th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)16th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2024)5th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math15%-23 vs state

English Language Arts15%-26 vs state

Science12%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gardner Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gardner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6528 Mansfield St	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 581-4615	239	14	16.7	80.3%	90 (37.7%)	113 (47.3%)	33 (13.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	11.1	1348^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.7%		8.5	1385^th of 1488 public elementary schools	6.9%	37			8.6	11.5	23.1			13.2	11.1	20.0			12.5		1466.0		90.3%	0%	$24,447	$1,970	$22,477
Maples Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6801 Mead St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6454	541	39	14.0	94.5%	532 (98.3%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49.7	698^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.2%		55.4	640^th of 1488 public elementary schools	57.0%	58			57.5	30.3	46.7			66.7	36.4	35.8			25.5		12.8		85.7%	5.5%	$18,549	$1,693	$16,856
Detroit Premier Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7781 Asbury Park	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Premier Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 945-1472	706	44	16.1	90.8%	11 (1.6%)	603 (85.4%)	26 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (9.3%)	10.7	1357^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.0%		13.9	1278^th of 1488 public elementary schools	14.1%	79	53.1	28.4	15.7	16.7	17.9	24.1	20.0	15.7	7.1	8.3	11.5	17.6	9.6	21.0	3.6	29.3	81%	12.1%	$14,134	$1,886	$12,247
Oakman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7545 Chase Rd	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6500	253	19	13.5	96.8%	252 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.1	556^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.7%		58.1	592^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	60.2%	36			46.3	46.2	53.7			73.2	50.9	31.5			33.3		24.1		95.7%	2.1%	$21,376	$1,820	$19,556
William Ford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14749 Alber St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6400	580	45	12.9	89.0%	567 (97.8%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30	1003^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	32.8%		39.7	869^th of 1488 public elementary schools	41.6%	134			23.2	27.5	32.6			28.6	32.9	35.4			27.1		16.7		92.1%	5.6%	$20,942	$1,458	$19,484
Carver STEM Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	18701 Paul St	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 240-6622	435	25	17.4	91.3%	23 (5.3%)	374 (86.0%)	33 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	6.1	1454^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.5%		6.3	1441^st of 1488 public elementary schools	3.2%	13	25.9	5.6	5.5	14.6	1464.2	5.0	8.9	5.5	1364.4	6.0	5.3	8.9	1468.9	1768.3	6.0	7.3	95.8%	4.2%	$21,739	$1,736	$20,003
McCollough Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7801 Maple St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-1700	424	30	14.2	87.5%	411 (96.9%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45.8	762^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	48.9%		39.7	867^th of 1488 public elementary schools	41.7%	105			31.8	37.1	50.7			50.0	52.9	28.0			22.7		17.3		95.6%	0%	$22,011	$1,673	$20,337
Lowrey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Jonathon St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-1800	515	39	13.3	91.3%	498 (96.7%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.7%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.4	551^st of 1492 public elementary schools	63.1%		67.5	451^st of 1488 public elementary schools	69.7%	100			45.0	47.5	35.8			63.4	50.0	40.3			25.4		31.3		90.8%	3.9%	$23,605	$2,383	$21,222
The Dearborn Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	19310 Ford Rd	Dearborn	48128	Wayne County	The Dearborn Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 982-1300	518	32	16.1	94.2%	261 (50.4%)	40 (7.7%)	214 (41.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14	1298^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.0%		11.2	1336^th of 1488 public elementary schools	10.2%	38	28.1	8.8	13.8	24.1	17.0	19.3	33.3	15.5	27.6	10.6	7.0	11.7	10.6	5.3	12.8	17.5	90.8%	3.1%	$18,563	$4,376	$14,187
Henry Ford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16140 Driscoll St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-4700	697	51	13.8	90.0%	663 (95.1%)	6 (0.9%)	5 (0.7%)	18 (2.6%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	32.8	958^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.8%		42.5	828^th of 1488 public elementary schools	44.4%	130			17.2	31.1	36.4			40.0	41.1	30.4			23.2		15.2		88.4%	4.8%	$20,230	$1,627	$18,603

Frequently Asked Questions about Gardner Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Gardner Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Cody High School

Is Gardner Elementary School a good school?

Gardner Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Michigan elementary schools.

What district is Gardner Elementary School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

What is the racial makeup of Gardner Elementary School?

Students at Gardner Elementary School are 47% African American, 38% White, 14% Hispanic.

How many students attend Gardner Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 239 students attended Gardner Elementary School.

Rate Gardner Elementary School!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

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.