Dearborn Heights School District #7, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Dearborn Heights School District #7

Dearborn Heights School District #7 sits in Wayne County, Michigan, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across six schools. The buildings include Bedford School, Pardee School, and Polk Elementary at the elementary level, Oakley W Best Middle School, Annapolis High School, and the Dearborn Heights Virtual Academy. The district draws from a single zip code in Dearborn Heights, and its enrollment is moderate for a full pre-K-through-12 system, with relatively even distribution across grade bands.

The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by a substantial Black population and a sizeable Hispanic group. Smaller numbers of American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial students round out the enrollment. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data, English learner counts, and special education rates were not available in the data provided, so those slices of the student profile remain unclear here.

On Michigan's M-STEP and PSAT assessments, the most recent results show a district working against low proficiency across most subjects and grades. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above starts in the low twenties in third and fourth grade, then dips through the middle grades, reaching single-digit proficiency by eighth grade. ELA results are somewhat steadier in the elementary and early middle grades, hovering in the low-to-mid twenties, with a sharp upward jump on the eighth-grade PSAT. Science proficiency sits in the upper teens to low twenties. Social studies shows a wide spread, with fifth-grade proficiency quite low and eighth-grade results markedly stronger. Taken together, the district's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands below the midpoint among Wayne County's districts. A parent evaluating academic outcomes may want to ask the district directly what improvement strategies are in place, particularly in mathematics through the middle grades.

Chronic absenteeism is another area where the district sits below the midpoint among Wayne County's districts, meaning its rate runs higher than the county median. This is a factual flag worth a conversation with school leadership, since absenteeism affects both individual learning and the classroom environment. Per-pupil current spending, by contrast, falls in the middle range to upper half among the county's districts, suggesting the district is resourced at a comparable level to many of its peers.

The four-year graduation rate was not available in the comparison data, so no read on that measure is possible here. No nationally standardized academic context, civil-rights data, course-access information, or staffing figures were provided. Program offerings were also absent from the data, so families will need to go to the district directly for details on AP courses, career pathways, dual-enrollment options, or specialized programs at Annapolis High School and the Virtual Academy.

The housing market in the district's zip code is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the Michigan state average and roughly half the national figure, and rents are moderate. Year-over-year, home values have risen modestly while rents have climbed a bit faster. At the county level, the market shows ample active listings and a median listing price that has drifted slightly downward compared to a year prior, with homes spending about six weeks on the market. The affordability picture, with estimated mortgage costs running below typical rent, may appeal to families looking to buy. Wayne County's broader market context shows steady supply with softening demand, which could give buyers some room.

The district brief search turned up no confirmed parent-relevant changes such as bond elections, curriculum shifts, or property tax adjustments. The search found general district financial and profile information but nothing specific to recent lasting changes. A family considering this district should treat the academic results as the central piece to investigate further, asking specific questions about math instruction, attendance interventions, and what the high school pathway looks like for students progressing through the system.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,459

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 14%

Black 21%

White 59%

Asian 1%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

22%

40%

Gr 4

21%

31%

Gr 5

21%

37%

Gr 6

22%

36%

Gr 7

16%

21%

Gr 8

52%

60%

Math

Gr 3

20%

27%

Gr 4

22%

28%

Gr 5

12%

23%

Gr 6

16%

13%

Gr 7

10%

12%

Gr 8

10%

Science

Gr 5

19%

33%

Gr 8

15%

23%

Social studies

Gr 5

20%

Gr 8

32%

45%

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

Bedford School

Oakley W Best Middle School

Pardee School

Annapolis High School

Polk Elementary School

Dearborn Heights Virtual Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

21%

Grade 3

23%

Grade 4

14%

Grade 5

16%

Grade 6

10%

Grade 7

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

25%

Grade 3

23%

Grade 4

23%

Grade 5

24%

Grade 6

17%

Grade 7

54%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

21%

Grade 5

17%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

11%

Grade 5

35%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$163,959

Year-over-year change+3.7%

vs. state typical0.62x

vs. national typical0.45x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
48125	Dearborn Heights	$164K	+3.7%	100.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,546/mo

Year-over-year change+5.3%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
48125	Dearborn Heights	$1,546	+5.3%	100.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$827/mo

Home price / national median income2.0x

Annual rent / national median income22.1%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$719/mo

Market Activity: Wayne County

Median listing price$150,000

Median listing price YoY-3.2%

Median price per sq ft$124

Median price per sq ft YoY-1.6%

Median days on market45.5 days

Median days on market YoY+7.1%

Active listings4,172

Active listings YoY+17.2%

New listings2,316

New listings YoY+7.8%

Pending listings2,544

Pending listings YoY+3.8%

Hotness: median listing price$149,450

Supply score63.2

Supply score YoY-5.7%

Demand score30.5

Demand score YoY-24.6%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

Comparison

State typical home value$263,590 (+4.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.