Summary:
Zip code 48185, covering the Westland, Michigan area, is home to three elementary schools serving grades PK-5 (Hayes serves K-4) and a combined total of roughly 1,393 students across two different school districts.
For parents, the most striking difference in this area is the performance gap between Hayes Elementary School and its neighbors. Hayes, part of the highly-ranked Livonia Public Schools School District, is a clear standout with a 4-star rating and proficiency rates that often exceed state averages—for example, 62.8% of its 4th graders are proficient in ELA compared to roughly 20% at both Wildwood Elementary School and Thomas A. Edison Elementary School. Hayes also benefits from smaller class sizes (14.9:1 student-teacher ratio) and a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (19.4% vs. nearly 40% at the other two). In contrast, Wildwood and Edison, both in the Wayne-Westland Community School District, struggle significantly, with most proficiency rates falling well below state averages and both holding 1-star ratings.
A key paradox is that the lower-performing schools actually spend more per student—Wildwood spends $19,751 and Edison $17,896, versus Hayes’ $15,247—yet achieve far worse results. This suggests that funding alone isn't the answer. Instead, factors like attendance and poverty levels appear more closely tied to outcomes. Hayes has the lowest poverty rate (36% free/reduced lunch) and the best attendance, while Edison has the highest poverty (67.6%) and the lowest scores. Both Wildwood and Edison also show a troubling "5th-grade cliff," where math proficiency plummets to around 10-12%, roughly one-third of the state average. On a positive note, Wildwood is showing signs of improvement, with significant year-over-year gains in 3rd-grade math (from 19.7% to 34.1%) and a slowly improving state ranking, offering a glimmer of hope for a school that still has a long way to go.
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