Summary:
Zip code 48180 in Taylor, Michigan, is served by 16 schools—including 9 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, and 2 alternative schools—that collectively enroll about 7,318 students, with most families facing significant economic challenges as reflected in free/reduced lunch rates between 65% and 96%.
For parents, the standout option at the high school level is Taylor Preparatory High School, which ranks in the 57th percentile statewide and exceeds state averages in reading, science, and social studies—despite spending roughly $13,500 per student. In contrast, Taylor High School spends about $20,200 per student but lags significantly in SAT proficiency (38.4% reading vs. 54.2% at Taylor Prep). Among elementary and K-8 schools, Taylor Exemplar Academy leads with a 52nd percentile ranking and strong 8th grade ELA scores (68.1% vs. 64.8% state), while Quest Charter Academy excels in 8th grade science (43.6% vs. 39.2% state). Within the Taylor School District, Robert J West Middle School outperforms Hoover Middle School in nearly every metric, and Blair Moody Elementary School posts the best district elementary scores (44.1% in 3rd grade ELA and math).
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which averages 47.2% district-wide versus the 27.9% state rate—with Myers Elementary School the hardest hit at 75.9%, correlating with its 9th percentile ranking and single-digit proficiency rates. Mathematics is a systemic weakness: even the best school, Taylor Prep, reaches only 20.5% SAT math proficiency (state: 26.5%), while middle schools fall to 4.9-9%. Taylor Virtual Learning Academy struggles with a 64:1 student-teacher ratio and 14.3% reading proficiency, while Beacon Day Treatment Center is a specialized therapeutic facility (spending $106,292 per student) where traditional metrics don't apply. Bright spots include Trillium Academy's 86.9% graduation rate (above the 84% state average) and Kinyon Elementary School's 28.3% absenteeism rate—the only school near the state average.
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