The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rooseveltmcgrath Elem School
RooseveltMccGrath Elementary sits on Currier Street in Wayne, a western suburb of Detroit rooted in automotive manufacturing. The school is part of the Wayne-Westland Community School District, which also serves Westland and Canton. Wayne has a small-town feel with a downtown along Michigan Avenue that the mayor has described as up and coming, though the built environment is decidedly suburban and car-dependent. Ford Motor Company operates two plants in the city, and manufacturing remains the largest employment sector. The Lower River Rouge cuts through the community. Housing here is affordable compared with state and national benchmarks, with typical home values well below Michigan's median and rents that sit modestly relative to local incomes. The city's population has been declining slightly, and no large new residential developments surfaced in available sources.
The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade, though the upper grade currently shows no enrolled students. Total enrollment is moderate for an elementary building. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-class character of the surrounding neighborhoods. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Black population and smaller Hispanic and multiracial groups. IEP and English learner figures were not reported, so those gaps remain open.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments for the most recent school year, proficiency was low across tested grades and subjects. Math results declined steadily from third grade through fifth, with fifth-grade math particularly weak. English language arts moved in the opposite direction, improving from third to fifth grade, though even the strongest ELA result left most students below proficiency. Fifth-grade science and social studies results were also low. When placed against districts in Wayne County, the school's overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile. These are sobering results. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the building has in place, and how the district plans to address the trend.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so there is no way to tell from the provided information whether performance is improving, flat, or declining over time. Participation rates were also missing from the state data set. No chronic absenteeism figure was reported for this school, and no staffing, course access, or discipline details were provided, so the picture of the school environment is thin. The school does not have a graduation rate, which is expected because it serves elementary grades only.
At the district level, voters approved a bond proposal in the spring of 2021 that directs funding toward instructional technology, building renovations, security improvements, athletic facility upgrades, buses, and site work across Wayne-Westland schools. That investment may bear on the physical condition and resources at RooseveltMcGrath in coming years, though specific allocations to this building were not detailed in available sources.
The housing market in the immediate area is accessible. Typical home values and listing prices in the ZIP code are well below the state median and roughly half the national figure, which makes ownership relatively attainable for families drawn to the area. The county market has seen a buildup in active listings recently while demand has softened, suggesting buyers have room to negotiate. Rents are moderate. For families tied to the Wayne-Westland district by work or family connections, housing costs are unlikely to be a barrier, and the affordability is a real draw even as the academic data gives pause.
What RooseveltMcGrath offers is a neighborhood elementary school in an affordable, historically industrial suburb with a diverse student body and clear economic needs. The academic results are the central concern in the available data. Families considering this school would benefit from asking the building leadership directly about current improvement plans, tutoring or intervention programs, and how the recent district bond money is being used at this site.
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