Best Public Schools in Zip Code 48219

Zip code 48219 in Detroit, Michigan, is served by 9 schools—6 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools—that collectively educate about 4,134 students, with nearly all students coming from low-income households (free/reduced lunch rates between 76.5% and 99.76%).

For parents, the standout option is Communication and Media Arts High School, which posts a 95.3% graduation rate—well above the district (83.1%) and state (84.0%) averages—and has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 36.5%. Its SAT reading proficiency (37.1%) actually beats the Detroit Public Schools Community District average. By contrast, Henry Ford High School, also in the same district and less than a mile away, struggles with a 67.2% graduation rate and an 82.5% chronic absenteeism rate—meaning 4 out of 5 students miss significant school. Among elementary options, Weston Preparatory Academy stands out despite spending the least per student ($13,829); it achieved the zip code’s highest ELA score (52.3% in 7th grade) and second-lowest absenteeism (46.3%). Madison-Carver Academy also shows relative strength in upper grades (40% 8th-grade PSAT ELA) despite a very high 31.1:1 student-teacher ratio.

The most concerning school is Old Redford Academy Elementary, ranking in the bottom 0.3% of Michigan schools with just 5.77% 3rd-grade ELA proficiency. Chronic absenteeism is the defining crisis across the entire zip code—every school exceeds the state rate (27.9%), with Emerson Elementary-Middle School at 74% and Old Redford Academy Middle School at 69.5%. Notably, higher spending does not guarantee better results: Emerson spends the most ($22,631 per student) with the best ratio (14.7:1) yet ranks in the bottom 4%, while Weston Prep achieves more with far less. Charles Wright Academy of Arts and Science and Detroit Service Learning Academy Campus fall in the middle, with math proficiency ranging from 3.4% to 15.5% across all schools—far below state averages of 32-43%. The data suggests school culture and student engagement, not funding, drive success in this high-poverty area.