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Oakley W Best Middle School

Q: Is Oakley W Best Middle School a good school?

Oakley W Best Middle School ranks 604 th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

604^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 33% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Oakley W Best Middle School in Dearborn Heights, MI, serves 557 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Dearborn Heights School District #7, a district currently ranked in the bottom 21st percentile statewide.

The most encouraging news for parents is that Oakley W Best is on a clear upward trajectory. After years of ranking in the lower third of Michigan middle schools, the school jumped from the 23rd to the 33rd percentile in the most recent school year, earning its highest 2-star rating in nearly a decade. This improvement is broad-based, with gains seen across all student subgroups. The school shows particular strength in serving English Language Learner and Special Education students, where its effectiveness ranks in the top half of the state. Another standout area is 8th-grade Social Studies, where 49.4% of students scored proficient on the M-Step—nearly matching the state average and far outpacing nearby schools like Lincoln Park Middle School (28.1%) and even coming close to the highly-ranked Allen Park Middle School (55.1%). This represents a near-tripling of proficiency rates from just two years prior.

However, challenges remain. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at 45.5%, nearly double the state average, and proficiency rates in Math and English Language Arts hover around half of state averages. While the school spends more per student ($19,447) than many peers, outcomes still lag behind schools like Smith Middle School in the neighboring Dearborn City School District, which serves a similar demographic yet achieves significantly higher test scores. That said, Oakley W Best is becoming a comparatively stronger choice in the immediate area, now ranking above several nearby schools including Hoover Middle School and Tomlinson Middle School. For parents, this is a school showing real momentum, with notable strengths in specific subjects and student populations, even as it works to overcome broader systemic challenges.

557

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,447

Per pupil spending ?

76.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

22201 Powers Ave
Dearborn Heights, MI 48125-2548

(313) 203-3200

District: Dearborn Heights School District #7

Students who attend Oakley W Best Middle School usually attend:

High:

Annapolis High School

Feeder schools for Oakley W Best Middle School:

Elementary:	Bedford School
	Pardee School
	Polk Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.2%

African American:

23.5%

Hispanic:

11.8%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Oakley W Best Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (28% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 28% Michigan)

!Mathematics scores 16 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg28%

Michigan avg41%

604^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

496^th of 625Dearborn Heights School District #7 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	30.4	604 of 896	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.1	682 of 890	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	755 of 897	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	748 of 883	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	645 of 776	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.7	606 of 675	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.3	652 of 792	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	627 of 838	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.7	618 of 821	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.0	595 of 894	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	46.9	496 of 919	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.7	628 of 921	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.4	545 of 919	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.8	578 of 900	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.1	428 of 858	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.1	380 of 851	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.6	482 of 847	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.3	564 of 839	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	46.9	571 of 823	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	55.9	453 of 806	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	181 of 337	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.3	211 of 338	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.1	243 of 300	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	234 of 310	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	113 of 182	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.5	154 of 196	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.9	158 of 366	56.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	46 of 108	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	29.6	72 of 106	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	63 of 88	28.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.5	37 of 72	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.5	67 of 154	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.3	598 of 789	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	673 of 789	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	697 of 771	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	703 of 770	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.6	607 of 657	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.8	486 of 521	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	570 of 658	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.5	581 of 794	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.9	172 of 260	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.3	197 of 265	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	215 of 257	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	189 of 246	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	106 of 138	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.9	68 of 137	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.4	193 of 266	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	513 of 834	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.0	616 of 832	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.9	700 of 836	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	701 of 825	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	547 of 691	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	476 of 523	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	549 of 672	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	570 of 815	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.1	551 of 813	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.7	620 of 798	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.2	698 of 786	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	684 of 776	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	585 of 658	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	512 of 540	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.1	552 of 639	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.4	575 of 797	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	77 of 190	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	116 of 236	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.1	183 of 244	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.1	152 of 377	59.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	558 of 687	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.2	644 of 696	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	672 of 701	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	667 of 688	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	586 of 638	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	507 of 577	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.4	559 of 624	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.5	575 of 678	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)59th percentile+36 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)57th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)46th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile~ school

Male (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)24th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)19th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies49%~ state avg

Science25%-14 vs state

English Language Arts24%-14 vs state

Math18%-14 vs state

Mathematics18%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Oakley W Best Middle 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Oakley W Best Middle School	Public	6-8	22201 Powers Ave	Dearborn Heights	48125	Wayne County	Dearborn Heights School District #7	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 203-3200	557	37	15.1	76.8%	330 (59.2%)	131 (23.5%)	66 (11.8%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	30.4	604^th of 896 public middle schools	32.6%		21.1	682^nd of 890 public middle schools	23.4%	78	51.2	17.6	19.5	27.8	14.2	21.6	24.7	49.4	$19,447	$1,929	$17,517
Smith Middle School	Public	6-8	23851 Yale St	Dearborn	48124	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-2800	525	39	13.6	68.8%	415 (79.0%)	53 (10.1%)	32 (6.1%)	15 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	51.5	402^nd of 896 public middle schools	55.1%		43.6	497^th of 890 public middle schools	44.2%	95	55.6	34.6	42.3	37.3	38.9	29.4	22.5	47.2	$21,248	$2,010	$19,238
Tomlinson Middle School	Public	6-8	25912 Annapolis St	Inkster	48141	Wayne County	Westwood Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 565-3391	180	13	13.9	96.7%	28 (15.6%)	135 (75.0%)	7 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.0%)	9.2	835^th of 896 public middle schools	6.8%		6.8	857^th of 890 public middle schools	3.7%	22	36.6	9.8		9.6		5.3	9.8	22.0	$22,757	$3,772	$18,985
Stout Middle School	Public	6-8	18500 Oakwood Blvd	Dearborn	48124	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-4600	698	52	13.3	84.1%	642 (92.0%)	34 (4.9%)	16 (2.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	61.1	287^th of 896 public middle schools	68.0%		54	363^rd of 890 public middle schools	59.2%	76	63.5	38.5	36.1	42.9	36.1	44.4	33.0	50.2	$22,556	$2,557	$19,998
Hoover Middle School	Public	6-8	27101 Beverly Rd	Taylor	48180	Wayne County	Taylor School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 295-5775	515	37	13.7	87.0%	228 (44.3%)	196 (38.1%)	50 (9.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.2%)	8	852^nd of 896 public middle schools	4.9%		10.8	804^th of 890 public middle schools	9.7%	48	36.4	4.9	10.6	10.7	5.6	6.5	6.3	16.8	$23,028	$1,963	$21,065
Robert J West Middle School	Public	6-8	10575 William St	Taylor	48180	Wayne County	Taylor School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 295-5783	641	38	17.0	76.4%	300 (46.8%)	190 (29.6%)	87 (13.6%)	9 (1.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.1%)	19.5	712^th of 896 public middle schools	20.5%		23.2	662^nd of 890 public middle schools	25.6%	50	52.0	9.0	17.8	17.4	11.2	11.9	16.9	39.5	$20,017	$1,769	$18,248
Bryant Middle School	Public	6-8	460 N Vernon St	Dearborn	48128	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-2900	781	47	16.7	62.4%	733 (93.9%)	21 (2.7%)	13 (1.7%)	11 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	72.4	200^th of 896 public middle schools	77.7%		74.3	176^th of 890 public middle schools	80.2%	24	71.2	43.2	52.8	47.5	56.7	46.9	30.2	50.8	$17,523	$1,374	$16,149
Allen Park Middle School	Public	6-8	8401 Vine Ave	Allen Park	48101	Wayne County	Allen Park Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 827-2200	896	45	19.9	48.7%	672 (75.0%)	44 (4.9%)	145 (16.2%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	23 (2.6%)	60.7	294^th of 896 public middle schools	67.2%		61.8	281^st of 890 public middle schools	68.4%	13	68.4	40.5	32.4	41.0	31.7	34.1	40.6	55.1	$13,720	$1,110	$12,611
Julian O Strong Middle School	Public	6-8	18656 Prospect St	Melvindale	48122	Wayne County	Melvindale-Northern Allen Park Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-3320	651	38	17.1	90.2%	462 (71.0%)	54 (8.3%)	124 (19.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.9%)	17.5	729^th of 896 public middle schools	18.6%		13.8	768^th of 890 public middle schools	13.7%	39	47.7	11.6	20.3	12.1	20.0	12.4	15.3	25.6	$18,674	$2,382	$16,292
Lincoln Park Middle School	Public	6-8	2800 Lafayette Blvd	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(313) 389-0757	1,089	62	17.4	90.2%	288 (26.4%)	186 (17.1%)	546 (50.1%)	9 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (5.3%)	19.7	708^th of 896 public middle schools	21.0%		19.3	703^rd of 890 public middle schools	21.0%	5	44.3	8.5	25.8	26.2	11.3	11.0	20.5	28.1	$20,402	$1,771	$18,630

Frequently Asked Questions about Oakley W Best Middle School

Is Oakley W Best Middle School a good school?

Oakley W Best Middle School ranks 604^th of 896 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Oakley W Best Middle School?

Students at Oakley W Best Middle School are 59% White, 24% African American, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Oakley W Best Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 557 students attended Oakley W Best Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Oakley W Best Middle School attend?

Students who attend Oakley W Best Middle School usually go on to attend Annapolis High School

What district is Oakley W Best Middle School in?

Dearborn Heights School District #7

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.