The top reported proficiency rate is 7% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fisher Magnet Lower Academy
Fisher Magnet Lower Academy was a Detroit public school operating on the city's east side, along East State Fair Street in the 48205 zip code. It was part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The school is now closed, so the information here reflects its last reported academic results rather than a currently operating campus. A family evaluating this school today would be looking at historical performance, since no current students attend.
The grade levels the school served are not clearly specified in the available data. The state testing record covers third and fourth grade, which suggests the school served an early elementary range, but the data does not confirm a full grade span. Because the school did not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band rather than a gap in performance.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessment in the 2022-23 school year, the school's results were very low across both tested grades and subjects. In math, only a handful of third and fourth graders reached proficiency, with the proficient share in the low single digits for both grades. English language arts results were slightly higher but still well below what most schools post, with single-digit proficiency rates in both grades. A science result from an earlier testing year was also reported in a range near zero. These are the most recent figures available, and they paint a picture of a school where most students were not meeting state benchmarks in the period before closure. A parent reviewing this history may want to understand from the district what supports were in place and what factors contributed to these results.
Enrollment counts, demographic breakdowns, free and reduced-price lunch rates, special education and English learner figures, and staffing data were not available in the records we reviewed. Without these, it is hard to characterize the student population or the resources the school had on hand. Discipline data, course access details, and attendance figures were also absent.
The school sat in a part of Detroit where housing values are far below state and national medians. Typical home values in the surrounding zip code run well below what most Michigan communities see, and rents are modest relative to the broader metro. The Wayne County housing market has seen an increase in active listings recently, with median listing prices holding below state benchmarks. Homes in this area tend to sit on the market for a moderate stretch. For families connected to the neighborhood, housing costs are low, which is a defining feature of the area rather than a marker of school quality.
Detroit itself is a major urban center with a deep industrial and cultural identity. The city has experienced decades of population loss and disinvestment in many neighborhoods, including areas on the east side where this school was located. More recently, Detroit has seen modest population growth, attributed to immigration and new housing development, with major investments concentrated in downtown, Midtown, Corktown, and the riverfront. Neighborhoods farther from the core, like the one surrounding Fisher's former location, have generally seen less of this reinvestment. The Detroit Public Schools Community District has announced a multi-year facilities improvement plan aimed at renovating and modernizing buildings across the district, which could affect school environments system-wide, though Fisher Magnet Lower Academy is no longer part of that landscape.
Because the school is closed, there is no current pathway, peer environment, or student support to evaluate. What the record shows is a school that served young children in an east side Detroit neighborhood, with state assessment results that were among the lowest reported in the years before it stopped operating.
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