Summary
Smith Middle School in Dearborn, MI, serves 525 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Dearborn City School District, a district rated 3 stars statewide. The school has shown notable improvement recently, climbing to the 55th percentile in state rankings for the 2025-2026 school year, up from the 44th percentile the year before. About 69% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a predominantly low-income student population.
One of the school's standout strengths is its exceptional support for specific groups of learners. In the 2024-2025 school year, its special education students ranked in the 90th percentile statewide (5 stars), a dramatic improvement from the 10th percentile just a few years earlier. Similarly, its African American students performed remarkably well, ranking in the 93rd percentile that same year. These results suggest that the school has developed highly effective interventions for students who may need extra support. However, the school faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism—35.1% of students are chronically absent, notably higher than the district average of 25.9% and the state average of 27.9%. This persistent issue has remained above 33% for four consecutive years.
Academically, Smith shows a clear split between subjects. In 8th grade, 55.6% of students scored proficient in English Language Arts on the PSAT, compared to just 34.6% in math, indicating literacy is a relative strength. When compared to nearby schools, Smith outperforms struggling schools in the Taylor and Westwood districts by wide margins—for instance, its 6th-grade ELA proficiency rate of 42.3% far exceeds rates at Oakley W Best Middle School (19.5%) and Robert J West Middle School (17.8%). However, within its own district, Smith is the lowest-performing of the three main middle schools, trailing Bryant Middle School and Stout Middle School in overall rankings. Notably, Smith spends $21,248 per student—more than Bryant ($17,523)—and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio of 13.6, yet this higher investment hasn't translated into higher overall test scores compared to its district peers.
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