The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in Math. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Nolan Elementarymiddle School
Nolan Elementary-Middle School sits on the east side of Detroit, within the Detroit Public Schools Community District. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, and nearly all of its students are Black. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding neighborhood. The school is not a charter or magnet, so admission follows the district's standard enrollment patterns for neighborhood schools. Information on individualized education programs, English learner services, staffing, attendance, discipline, and course access was not available in the data provided, so those dimensions of school life cannot be described here.
The academic picture from the most recent state assessments is weak across every tested subject and grade. In math, proficiency rates are low in the earliest tested grades and remain low or fall further into the upper elementary and middle grades. English language arts results follow a similar pattern, with only the eighth-grade PSAT showing a relatively stronger share of students reaching proficiency, though still modest. Science and social studies proficiency rates are also low in the grades where those subjects are assessed. When the school's overall proficiency is compared relative to districts in Wayne County, it lands in the bottom quartile. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results are improving, holding steady, or declining over time. A parent considering this school may want to ask the administration directly what interventions and supports are in place to move these numbers, since the data shows a clear gap between current performance and state proficiency benchmarks.
Because Nolan ends at eighth grade, it has no graduation rate, and the chronic absenteeism figure was not reported for this school. Those gaps reflect the grade band rather than a missing target.
The housing market around Nolan is one of the most affordable in the region. Typical home values in the school's zip code are far below both the state and national benchmarks, and recent values have been declining year over year. Rents are also low relative to broader metro and national norms. At the county level, the median listing price sits well below the state benchmark, and listings have been spending a moderate time on the market. For a family already rooted in this part of Detroit, housing costs are unlikely to be a barrier to staying in the neighborhood. For a family considering moving in, the low purchase prices and rents make entry relatively accessible, though the declining home values may give pause to those concerned about building equity.
Detroit itself is a major urban center shaped by its automotive history and decades of population loss, with a recent period of modest population growth that has drawn attention. The city has seen revitalization concentrated in downtown, Midtown, Corktown, and along the riverfront, with new residential construction and major infrastructure projects underway. Schools like Nolan are located in the residential neighborhoods farther from those investment corridors, where disinvestment has been deeper and recovery slower. The city anchors a large regional economy with major employers in automotive, health care, finance, and government, and the district itself is a substantial employer.
The district, Detroit Public Schools Community District, has publicly reported a multi-year facilities improvement plan aimed at renovating and modernizing school buildings. For a family at Nolan, that could mean changes to the building environment in coming years, along with the typical disruptions that accompany renovation work. What the district's academic improvement priorities are for schools performing at the lower end of the proficiency range was not clear from the available data, so a parent may want to seek that out directly.
Nolan is a small, neighborhood-based elementary-middle school serving a high-poverty, almost entirely Black student body in a part of Detroit where housing is very affordable but state test results are among the lowest in Wayne County. Families already in the area may value the continuity of a pre-K through eighth-grade pathway and the proximity to home. Those weighing whether it fits their child's academic needs should ask the school directly about its improvement plans and student supports, since the available data does not answer that question on its own.
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