Summary:
The 13 schools serving the 48127 zip code in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, span elementary through high school and include a mix of traditional public, charter, and alternative options across districts like Crestwood School District, Dearborn City School District, and several independent academies, serving a community where economic challenges are widespread.
For families prioritizing academic performance, Kinloch Elementary School stands out as the top elementary option, ranking in the 89th percentile statewide with 4th-grade math proficiency at 68.1%—nearly 30 points above the state average—and chronic absenteeism of just 10.9%. In contrast, Global Heights Academy struggles significantly, ranking in the 4th percentile with 4th-grade math proficiency at only 13.3%. At the secondary level, Dearborn STEM Middle School has historically been a powerhouse, ranking #1 in Michigan multiple times, though its current data is limited. Among high schools, Star International Academy is the clear standout—despite serving a population where 93% qualify for free/reduced lunch, it achieves a perfect 100% graduation rate with zero dropouts, while Crestwood High School also performs well with a 91.9% graduation rate. Conversely, Dearborn Magnet High School shows alarming trends with a 59.8% graduation rate, a 51.3:1 student-teacher ratio, and only 16.1% SAT reading proficiency despite spending $28,447 per student.
Chronic absenteeism emerges as a powerful predictor of success across the area. Schools like Highview Elementary School (13% absenteeism) and Dearborn STEM (7.7%) demonstrate strong outcomes, while Clara B Ford Academy SDA suffers from a staggering 63.4% chronic absenteeism rate and a 33.3% graduation rate. The data also reveals that spending does not guarantee results—Howe Trainable Center and Montessori spends $45,313 per student (serving special needs students) while Star International spends just $13,046 yet achieves far better graduation outcomes. For parents, the Crestwood School District consistently outperforms the Dearborn City School District across nearly every metric, making district choice a critical factor. The wide disparities—from Kinloch's 89th percentile ranking to Global Heights' 4th percentile—underscore that school selection in this zip code dramatically impacts educational outcomes, with leadership, attendance culture, and instructional quality mattering more than funding levels alone.
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