Fitzgerald Senior High School

Fitzgerald Senior High School is a public high school in Warren, MI, serving 861 students in grades 9-12 within the Fitzgerald Public Schools district, where 68% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most striking thing about Fitzgerald is the gap between its graduation rate and its test scores. The school graduates 93.7% of its students—nearly 10 points above the state average and higher than every nearby traditional high school, including Hazel Park High School (89.0%) and Lincoln High School (80.6%). Yet only 5.9% of students are proficient in math on the SAT, and just 27.8% are proficient in reading—both roughly half the state average. This suggests the school is very effective at keeping students on track to earn a diploma, but those diplomas may not reflect strong academic mastery. The dropout rate has improved dramatically, falling from 6.8% to just 2.3% in one year, well below the state's 7.1%.

Fitzgerald shows a genuine strength with English Language Learners, who rank in the 86th percentile statewide—a 4-star performance that has improved for three straight years. However, chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 57.1% of students miss 10% or more of school days, more than double the state average. This likely drives the low test scores. Compared to nearby schools, Fitzgerald actually outperforms most peers—Pershing High School graduates just 78.4% of students with an 84% chronic absenteeism rate. The district's virtual option, Fitzgerald Virtual Academy, has far better attendance but only a 55.3% graduation rate, suggesting the in-person model is better at keeping students engaged through completion. The school spends $17,433 per student—less than Lincoln or Pershing—yet achieves better outcomes, indicating relatively efficient use of resources.