Wick Elementary School

Wick Elementary School in Romulus, MI, serves 281 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Romulus Community Schools district.

Wick Elementary is in the middle of a remarkable turnaround. After a decade of low rankings, the school has climbed steadily over the past three years and now sits in the 45th percentile statewide—its best performance in over a decade. The most impressive story is the school's work with its African American students, where it ranks in the 87th percentile statewide, earning a 4-star rating. That's a standout achievement that far exceeds any nearby school. The school also outperforms its own district average when it comes to serving students from low-income households. However, there's a clear gender gap: while female students rank in the 60th percentile, male students rank in just the 25th percentile—the largest gap among comparable schools in the area. This suggests the school's success is real but not yet universal across all groups of learners.

Academically, Wick's English Language Arts scores in grades 3-5 are at or above state averages, which is a clear strength. Math tells a different story, especially in upper grades: 4th-grade math proficiency is 30.2% (vs. 39.4% statewide) and 5th-grade math drops to 25.6% (vs. 32.2% statewide). Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern at 42.2%—well above the state average of 27.9%, though similar to other Romulus elementary schools. For context, Barth Elementary, also in the same district with a similar student population, posts significantly higher proficiency rates in nearly every subject and grade level. That comparison shows what's possible within the same district and suggests Wick has room to grow by learning from high-performing peers. Overall, Wick is a school on the rise, with notable strengths and clear areas for focused improvement.