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Nichols ElementaryMiddle School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1307^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Nichols ElementaryMiddle School is a PK-8 public school in Detroit's East Village/Central neighborhood, serving 311 students as part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with about 92% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and spends significantly more per student ($23,079) than the state average.

The most remarkable finding is Nichols' extraordinary performance in 8th grade Social Studies. In 2025-2026, a stunning 90.63% of 8th graders scored proficient on the M-Step exam—more than 3.5 times the district average (25.2%) and nearly double the state average (50.3%). This isn't a fluke: the school has posted 63-64% proficiency in this subject for the past two years, consistently outperforming even nearby charter schools like Detroit Prep (73.5%) and The James and Grace Lee Boggs School (72.7%)—schools that dramatically outperform Nichols in every other subject. This suggests a specific, highly effective social studies program that could serve as a model for other subjects. The school also shows relative strength in 6th grade ELA (26.5% proficient vs. 16.3% district average) and performs better for African American students (31st percentile statewide) than for its overall student body (12th percentile).

However, the overall picture remains challenging. Nichols ranks in the bottom 12th percentile of Michigan schools, with elementary ELA proficiency ranging from just 10.6% to 17.6%. Chronic absenteeism (53.1%) is high, though notably better than the district average (60.9%). Compared to nearby DPSCD peers like Bunche Preparatory Academy and AL Holmes Academy of Blended Learning, Nichols outperforms them in most metrics. Yet charter schools serving similar demographics, like Detroit Enterprise Academy (88.9% low-income), achieve higher rankings (29th percentile) with less than half the per-student spending. The school's student-teacher ratio (17.7) is also higher than comparable district schools, raising questions about how its substantial resources are deployed.

311

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,079

Per pupil spending ?

92.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

3000 Burns St
Detroit, MI 48214-1874

(313) 852-0800

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

Students who attend Nichols ElementaryMiddle School usually attend:

High:

Southeastern High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.9%

Two or more races:

3.2%

White:

1.3%

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Compare Nichols ElementaryMiddle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2019 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (25% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (53% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg16%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

1,307^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 3 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

410^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 43 pts since 2019

From bottom 11% (2019) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

25^th 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	13.3	1307 of 1492	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.8	1203 of 1488	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	1403 of 1486	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	1244 of 1470	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	1196 of 1344	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.6	1273 of 1408	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.9	268 of 388	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.7	201 of 369	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	194 of 321	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.0	145 of 212	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.3	308 of 475	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	1241 of 1343	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.6	921 of 1338	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	17.4	1231 of 1443	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	1201 of 1352	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.0	1086 of 1346	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	1058 of 1350	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	993 of 1134	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	1235 of 1397	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	1060 of 1372	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.1	1153 of 1366	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.8	1046 of 1334	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	1323 of 1446	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.4	410 of 896	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	20.8	686 of 890	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	649 of 897	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.8	820 of 883	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	586 of 776	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.6	702 of 792	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	55 of 337	83.7%	★★★★☆
2025	41.1	168 of 338	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	130 of 300	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	23.2	242 of 310	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.9	85 of 182	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.5	112 of 196	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.9	295 of 366	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	476 of 789	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	431 of 771	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	7.8	752 of 794	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	605 of 832	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.6	504 of 836	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	12.5	752 of 825	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	35.0	464 of 691	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.4	519 of 672	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	771 of 815	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	342 of 813	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	11.9	702 of 776	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	653 of 797	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)31st percentile+19 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile~ school

Female (2026)8th percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

African American (2026)84th percentile+29 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)40th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+4 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies91%+52 vs state

English Language Arts16%-24 vs state

Math14%-22 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, May 25, 2026

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Schools Near Nichols ElementaryMiddle 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 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)		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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nichols ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	3000 Burns St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 852-0800	311	18	17.7	92.0%	4 (1.3%)	295 (94.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	13.3	1307^th of 1492 public elementary schools	12.4%		17.8	1203^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	19.2%	104	335.6	318.8	10.6	17.6	12.1	26.5	1666.2	11.1	1359.5	1462.6	17.6	1664.9	1471.3	1767.7	1464.6	90.6	$23,079	$1,760	$21,320
Detroit Prep	Public, Charter	K-8	8411 Sylvester St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Achievement Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 343-1495	418	24	17.7	54.5%	147 (35.2%)	221 (52.9%)	8 (1.9%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.4%)	64.5	497^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.7%		66.8	467^th of 1488 public elementary schools	68.6%	30	492.6	61.8	49.0	56.0	45.1	57.1	54.2	51.0	48.0	29.4	51.0	46.8	39.2	58.8	23.5	73.5	$12,135	$1,049	$11,087
The James and Grace Lee Boggs School	Public, Charter	K-8	7600 Goethe St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	The James and Grace Lee Boggs School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 923-2301	172	10	18.1	68.6%	46 (26.7%)	101 (58.7%)	9 (5.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (8.7%)	52	670^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.1%		43.9	812^th of 1488 public elementary schools	45.4%	142	496.4	45.5	37.5	52.4	50.0	47.8	43.8	31.3	14.3	29.2	43.5	37.5	37.5	45.5	25.0	72.7	$12,457	$00	$12,457
Garvey Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2301 Van Dyke St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-7400	434	33	13.1	90.1%	4 (0.9%)	421 (97.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	10.7	1358^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.0%		10.3	1352^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	9.1%	6	31.8	339.8	14.6	12.5	1464.3	17.8	13.2	14.6	1368.4	1450.6	1559.3	1661.0	1463.4	11.1	1461.3	15.6	$24,673	$1,716	$22,956
Hutchinson ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2600 Garland St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-4169	379	27	14.1	90.0%	1 (0.3%)	367 (96.8%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.7	1336^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.5%		9.3	1369^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.0%	33	27.9	14.0	1268.3	5.9	25.0	13.9	22.2	1271.7	1360.2	14.8	11.8	25.9	1468.5	1771.7	1463.8	25.6	$23,734	$2,028	$21,706
Moses Field Center	Public	PK, KG-8	1100 Sheridan St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	No	(313) 866-5790	69	12	5.7	87.0%	7 (10.1%)	55 (79.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)								(n/a)																	$50,251	$5,217	$45,033
Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	10800 E Canfield St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-6000	329	8	41.1	92.4%	0 (0.0%)	321 (97.6%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6.5	1448^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.9%		6.6	1436^th of 1488 public elementary schools	3.5%	12	326.5	305.9	8.1	7.7	1461.2	13.3	1669.1	1262.0	1359.3	1448.1	1563.8	1658.6	1458.6	1769.7	1456.3	1778.6	$15,422	$00	$15,422
Detroit Enterprise Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	11224 Kercheval St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Enterprise Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-5799	686	38	18.0	88.9%	2 (0.3%)	618 (90.1%)	13 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.4%)	26.3	1063^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	28.8%		21.1	1137^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.6%	74	49.1	38.2	30.5	24.7	38.7	25.4	34.0	32.9	18.5	16.2	23.9	26.4	25.3	29.1	12.0	34.5	$14,595	$1,639	$12,956
Bunche Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2715 Macomb St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8350	401	32	12.6	91.8%	3 (0.7%)	380 (94.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.2%)	5.3	1477^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.0%		12.9	1301^st of 1488 public elementary schools	12.6%	176	42.9	341.4	11.4	8.3	8.6	6.8	31.6	1255.8	1356.9	1447.0	1555.9	18.4	1470.4	21.4	1458.8	25.0	$24,085	$1,814	$22,270
AL Holmes Academy of Blended Learning	Public	PK, KG-8	8950 Crane St	Detroit	48213	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-5644	401	31	13.0	94.0%	4 (1.0%)	388 (96.8%)	6 (1.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.7	1397^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.4%		8.1	1396^th of 1488 public elementary schools	6.2%	1	38.1	11.9	12.5	1360.4	10.2	1566.7	1669.7	22.5	10.8	8.3	10.8	22.2	6.3	11.6	1463.5	25.0	$24,540	$1,626	$22,913

Frequently Asked Questions about Nichols ElementaryMiddle School

What district is Nichols ElementaryMiddle School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

How many students attend Nichols ElementaryMiddle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 311 students attended Nichols ElementaryMiddle School.

What schools do graduates of Nichols ElementaryMiddle School attend?

Students who attend Nichols ElementaryMiddle School usually go on to attend:

High : Southeastern High School

What is the racial makeup of Nichols ElementaryMiddle School?

Students at Nichols ElementaryMiddle School are 95% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% White.

Is Nichols ElementaryMiddle School a good school?

Nichols ElementaryMiddle School ranks in the bottom 12.4% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Nichols ElementaryMiddle School!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 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.