Gardner International School, Lansing MI

Original Research by School Decision on Gardner International School

Gardner International School sits on Dahlia Drive in Lansing, serving kindergarten through eighth grade as part of Lansing Public School District. It is a regular public school with a large enrollment for its grade band, and its student body reflects the urban core of a state-capital city. The school serves a predominantly Black student population, with substantial Asian, White, and Hispanic representation as well. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Gardner among the higher-poverty schools in the district. English learner and special education figures were not available in the data provided, so those population shares remain an open question.

On state assessments, Gardner's results are uniformly low. Math proficiency across the tested grades is the area of greatest concern, with rates that dip into single digits in most grades and reach a very low band in fifth grade. ELA shows a somewhat different pattern. Third grade posts the highest reading proficiency rate, and eighth grade stands out as the relative bright spot, with roughly a third of tested students reaching proficiency on the PSAT reading assessment. Science and social studies results, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, land at modest levels, with the older grade outperforming the younger one. When measured against other districts in Ingham County, Gardner's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what targeted interventions and support structures the school has in place, particularly in mathematics across the middle grades.

The surrounding housing market is one of the more affordable in the region. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below both the state and national benchmarks, and rents are modest as well. For families looking to buy, the price-to-income ratio is favorable compared with national norms, and renting costs meaningfully less per month than carrying a mortgage at current rates. This is an accessible housing market for working families, and the cost of living near Gardner is comparatively low.

Lansing itself is Michigan's state capital, a mid-sized city with a diversified economy anchored by state government, insurance companies like Auto-Owners and Jackson National Life, healthcare systems including Sparrow and McLaren, and General Motors manufacturing. Michigan State University sits just over the border in East Lansing, and Lansing Community College operates within the city. The Michigan State Capitol sits in a central downtown park, and the Lansing River Trail runs along the Grand River through the city, offering biking and walking paths. The city is largely auto-oriented, with moderate walkability in the downtown core.

The broader district context matters for families here. Publicly reported district news indicates that voters approved a bond in November 2022 funding facility improvements, security upgrades, technology, a new Willow Elementary building, a new early childhood center, and athletic upgrades, all structured without increasing the current tax rate. The early childhood center broke ground in August 2024 and is expected to open in fall 2025. At the same time, the district faces a budget deficit for the 2024-2025 year, driven by declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds. Publicly reported coverage notes that the district has begun discussions about potential school consolidation, though no specific buildings have been named. That financial pressure is something families should watch, as it could shape program offerings and school assignments in coming years.

Gardner does not have a graduation rate because it does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism and course-access data were not available. Program-specific offerings, staffing ratios, and discipline data were also absent from the information provided. Trend data was not available for prior years, so it is difficult to say whether these proficiency levels represent a decline, a plateau, or a school working through a particular transition. What the current picture shows is a large, high-poverty K-8 school in an affordable urban neighborhood, with academic results that trail most of its Ingham County peers and a district navigating both investment and fiscal pressure at the same time.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 15% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 8% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 72%

School 2% · District 9% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 7% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 21% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 19% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 20% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 14%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · District 18% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 40% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 17% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 16% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 17%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolLansing Public School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income8%Higher-income25%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income6%Higher-income30%24 pp gap