Gibraltar School District, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Gibraltar School District

Gibraltar School District sits in the southern reaches of Wayne County, drawing its students from a cluster of Downriver communities that include Brownstown, Woodhaven, and a sliver of Flat Rock. The district runs from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across seven schools: four elementary buildings feeding into Shumate Middle School and then Oscar A Carlson High School, with Lakeshore Virtual School offering an online option. The enrollment is moderate for the area, and the student body is predominantly white, with smaller Hispanic and Black populations and a modest share of students identifying as two or more races. Free and reduced-price lunch figures, English learner counts, and special education rates were not available in the data provided, so a parent evaluating student support services would want to ask the district directly for those details.

On state assessments, Gibraltar's results tell a mixed but recognizable story. In the early elementary grades, math and English language arts proficiency sit at or near the midpoint, with third and fourth graders performing respectably on M-STEP. The pattern that emerges as students move into fifth, sixth, and seventh grade is one of decline in math, where proficiency drops steadily and reaches its lowest point in seventh grade. English language arts follows a similar dip in the middle grades before rebounding sharply in eighth grade, where PSAT-based proficiency jumps to a strong level. Science and social studies results are middling, with fifth grade science standing out as a relative bright spot and eighth grade science trailing behind. The district's overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, places Gibraltar in the top quartile among Wayne County's districts, a position that reflects the strength of the elementary performance pulling the aggregate upward even as middle grade math weighs on it. A parent whose child tends toward math would be well served to look into how the district supports students through that sixth and seventh grade transition.

Chronic absenteeism, which the data reports at a level well below the county median, lands Gibraltar in the top quartile among Wayne County districts on that measure. That is a genuine strength, since students who show up consistently are far more likely to keep pace academically. Per-pupil spending sits in the middle range of the county but in the lower half of that band, roughly near the county median, which suggests the district is working with typical resources for the region rather than either a thin or especially enriched budget.

The housing picture across the three zip codes the district touches is one of relative affordability. Typical home values in the district run slightly above the state benchmark and well below the national one, with Brownstown carrying the most weight in the district average and Woodhaven and Flat Rock sitting at somewhat different price points. Rents are moderate, and the estimated monthly mortgage cost runs higher than typical rent, meaning renting may feel more accessible than buying for families new to the area. The countywide housing market has seen a modest uptick in active listings and a slight softening of median listing prices recently, with homes sitting on the market a bit longer than a year ago, so a family looking to move in may find somewhat more negotiating room than in recent prior years.

We looked for a district brief covering recent budget, program, or facility changes but found little substantive content, so we left it out rather than guess. Graduation rate data was not available in what was provided, and the district's civil rights reporting, course access details, staffing ratios, and program offerings such as AP or career pathways were absent as well. A parent weighing Gibraltar against neighboring districts would benefit from asking about high school course offerings, college credit opportunities, and post-graduation outcomes, since those pieces are not visible in the available data.

What the evidence does say is that Gibraltar is a district where elementary instruction is producing results above the county median, attendance is solidly better than most peers in Wayne County, and the community is accessible in terms of housing cost. The middle grade math slide is the clearest area a family should probe, and the rebound in eighth grade ELA suggests the district may be doing something effective in that transition year that is worth understanding.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,614

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 8%

Black 7%

White 78%

Asian 2%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

37%

52%

Gr 4

47%

59%

Gr 5

47%

59%

Gr 6

18%

41%

Gr 7

23%

36%

Gr 8

62%

75%

Math

Gr 3

44%

56%

Gr 4

39%

53%

Gr 5

26%

44%

Gr 6

12%

32%

Gr 7

17%

25%

Gr 8

26%

36%

Science

Gr 5

33%

59%

Gr 8

30%

34%

Social studies

Gr 5

26%

39%

Gr 8

34%

38%

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

Frank E Weiss Elem School

Oscar A Carlson High School

Chapman Elementary School

Parsons Elementary School

Hunter Elementary School

Shumate Middle School

Lakeshore Virtual School

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

52%

Grade 3

48%

Grade 4

37%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

22%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

46%

Grade 3

55%

Grade 4

55%

Grade 5

33%

Grade 6

32%

Grade 7

71%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

49%

Grade 5

33%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

34%

Grade 5

37%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$268,334

Year-over-year change+3.6%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$256K to $312K

vs. state typical1.02x

vs. national typical0.73x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
48173	Brownstown	$269K	+3.5%	73.8%
48183	Woodhaven	$256K	+3.3%	21.6%
48134	Flat Rock	$312K	+5.1%	4.5%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,210/mo

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,145 to $1,398/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
48173	Brownstown	$1,145	—	73.8%
48183	Woodhaven	$1,398	—	21.6%
48134	Flat Rock	$1,363	—	4.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,354/mo

Home price / national median income3.2x

Annual rent / national median income17.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$144/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.