Summary
Taylor High School is a large public high school in Taylor, MI, serving 1,371 students in grades 9-12 within the Taylor School District, a district that faces significant systemic challenges.
Academically, Taylor High School ranks in the bottom quarter of Michigan high schools (614th out of 800), with test scores below state averages in every subject. For example, only 38.4% of students are proficient in SAT Reading & Writing and just 11% in SAT Math, compared to state averages of 52.1% and 26.5%, respectively. The graduation rate stands at 72.9%, below the state's 84%, and the dropout rate of 11.2% is nearly double the state average. A major concern is chronic absenteeism, affecting 49.1% of students—almost double the state rate—though this is a significant improvement from 76.5% just three years ago. Perhaps most troubling, Special Education students rank in the bottom 2% of all Michigan schools, indicating a critical need for better support services.
Despite these challenges, there are bright spots and important context. The school spends a substantial $20,212 per student, yet nearby Summit Academy North High School achieves comparable results while spending nearly $7,500 less per student. More strikingly, Taylor Preparatory High School, a charter just 1.24 miles away serving a nearly identical student population, outperforms Taylor High School by 15-20 percentage points in every subject while spending $6,686 less per student. This suggests that higher achievement is possible with the same demographics. Taylor High School does outperform its district's virtual option, Taylor Virtual Learning Academy, across all metrics, and its graduation rate is better than the district average. The school's overall ranking has improved slightly over the past year, and the dramatic reduction in chronic absenteeism suggests recent interventions may be gaining traction.
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