The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Redford Union Jr High
Redford Union Jr High sits in Redford Township, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit that grew up as postwar single-family housing along a grid of mile roads and arterial corridors like Telegraph Road and Grand River Avenue. The township has no traditional downtown. Civic life clusters around the town hall complex and the Redford Marquee amphitheater on West Six Mile Road, with parks and the district library serving as gathering points. It is a car-dependent place, and families here navigate a sprawling suburban fabric rather than a walkable village center. The township has undergone substantial demographic change over the past two decades, becoming a racially diverse community with a predominantly Black population and a substantial white share, along with smaller Hispanic and multiracial groups. Publicly reported data indicates the township's population dipped and then partially rebounded by 2020, with no large-scale new housing developments identified.
The school itself serves grades seven through nine, an uncommon configuration that bridges middle school and the first year of high school. It is a regular public school, part of Redford Union Schools District No. 1, which is one of three separate districts operating within the township. Enrollment is moderate for a junior high of this grade band. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding community. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller white, Hispanic, and multiracial enrollment. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available.
A 2021 construction bond reshaped the district in ways families still feel. Two elementary schools closed, the former junior high building became an elementary school, and the junior high was relocated into the high school building. This means Redford Union Jr High students now share a campus with the high school, which changes the building culture and the transitions students experience as they move from ninth grade into the upper grades.
On state assessments, the school's results paint a mixed picture. English language arts stands out as the relative bright spot, particularly in eighth grade, where nearly half of tested students reached proficiency on the PSAT. Seventh-grade ELA proficiency was lower but still represented the school's stronger subject area. Mathematics is a clear soft spot, with only a small fraction of seventh and eighth graders demonstrating proficiency. Science and social studies results in eighth grade landed in between, with under a third of students proficient in social studies and fewer than a fifth in science. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint among districts in Wayne County. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what academic supports and interventions are in place, particularly in math, and how the school is working to lift proficiency across subjects.
Because the school does not serve twelfth grade, no graduation rate applies here. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available, so it is not possible to characterize attendance patterns from the information provided. No data on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, or magnet and Title I status was available either, which limits the picture of school environment and resources.
The housing market around the school is accessible by regional standards. Home values in the school's zip code run well below the state benchmark and far below national levels, and rents are similarly modest. Wayne County's broader market shows steady listing activity with moderate days on market. Affordability metrics suggest that owning costs less per month than renting for those who can manage a down payment, though current mortgage rates remain elevated. For families looking at this area, the cost of living is relatively low, and the community has invested in civic amenities like parks and the Marquee even as the school district has reorganized its footprint.
Redford Union Jr High is a school serving a working-class, predominantly Black student body in a suburb that has seen real change and reinvestment but where academic results remain uneven. Families considering this school should weigh the relatively strong ELA outcomes against the low math proficiency and ask the school directly about its academic improvement plans, especially given the recent facility changes.
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