Is Palmer Park Preparatory Academy a good school?

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy ranks in the bottom 20.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 376 students attended Palmer Park Preparatory Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Palmer Park Preparatory Academy?

Students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy are 86% African American, 10% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Palmer Park Preparatory Academy attend?

Students who attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy usually go on to attend: High : Mumford High School

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Summary:

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy is an elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, serving 425 students in grades PK-8 as part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The school faces significant academic and socioeconomic challenges, with consistently low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a student population that is 89.41% African American and 72.94% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to the state and district averages, Palmer Park Preparatory Academy struggles academically, with only 37.9% of 3rd-graders proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 39.6% statewide and 11.7% in the district. The school's chronic absenteeism rates have ranged from 27.9% to 73.1%, far exceeding the state and district averages. While the school's per-student spending has increased over the years, reaching $21,725 in 2022-2023, this additional funding has not yet translated into significant improvements in academic outcomes.

When examining nearby schools in the same district, such as Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and Greenfield Union ElementaryMiddle School, it becomes clear that the academic performance challenges are not unique to Palmer Park Preparatory Academy. These surrounding schools also struggle with low test scores and high chronic absenteeism, suggesting that the issues facing the school are deeply rooted and require a comprehensive, targeted approach to address the needs of the student population and the broader community.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

3901 Margareta St
Detroit, MI 48221-2260

(313) 494-7300

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1184^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,725

Students who attend Palmer Park Preparatory Academy usually attend:

High:

Mumford High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 376

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.4%

White:

9.8%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 62.8%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Palmer Park Preparatory Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Palmer Park Preparatory Academy ranks worse than 79.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 8^th among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.78. (See more...)

Compare Details Palmer Park Preparatory Academy ranks worse than 94.2% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.4. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (86.4%), White (9.8%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 62.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy is 13.4, which is the 11^th best among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Palmer Park Preparatory Academy employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy is $21,725, which is the 25^th highest among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmer Park Preparatory Academy 1184^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Palmer Park Preparatory Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmer Park Preparatory Academy 845^th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Palmer Park Preparatory Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Detroit Public Schools Community District:

SchoolDigger ranks Detroit Public Schools Community District 563^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2022	12.26	1183^rd	1344	12.0%
2023	14.91	1238^th	1470	15.8%
2024	18.78	1184^th	1486	20.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	8.49	1363^rd	1397	2.4%
2023	16.80	1150^th	1350	14.8%
2024	18.09	1178^th	1381	14.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	6.65	1408^th	1443	2.4%
2023	16.78	1118^th	1321	15.4%
2024	20.04	1090^th	1342	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.17	1399^th	1446	3.3%
2023	15.11	1142^nd	1334	14.4%
2024	18.86	1100^th	1347	18.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	22.40	417^th	475	12.2%
2022	37.53	91^st	158	42.4%
2023	32.43	201^st	321	37.4%
2024	34.73	208^th	348	40.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.96	873^rd	883	1.1%
2024	8.40	845^th	897	5.8%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	8.21	791^st	815	2.9%
2023	5.43	816^th	825	1.1%
2024	8.76	805^th	836	3.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	6.03	775^th	794	2.4%
2024	7.87	743^rd	771	3.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	6.87	782^nd	797	1.9%
2023	4.55	767^th	776	1.2%
2024	11.21	719^th	786	8.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	18.15	340^th	366	7.1%
2023	12.23	300^th	310	3.2%
2024	21.82	246^th	300	18.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	391	0	1	0	0	0	392
2018	2	432	0	1	0	0	2	437
2019	3	428	1	1	1	0	0	434
2020	14	439	0	3	1	0	0	457
2021	15	435	1	3	2	0	7	463
2022	22	379	2	2	2	1	5	413
2023	32	380	2	1	2	1	7	425
2024	37	325	2	2	2	0	8	376

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	392	21.0	18.6	80.9
2018	437	21.2	20.6	88.8
2019	434	26.5	16.3	85.7
2020	457	28.0	16.3	75.9
2021	463	28.5	16.2	81.2
2022	413	28.5	14.4	76
2023	425	30.0	14.1	72.9
2024	376	28.0	13.4	62.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	392	21.0	18.6	80.9
2018	437	21.2	20.6	88.8
2019	434	26.5	16.3	85.7
2020	457	28.0	16.3	75.9
2021	463	28.5	16.2	81.2
2022	413	28.5	14.4	76
2023	425	30.0	14.1	72.9
2024	376	28.0	13.4	62.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,284 (16.0%)	$11,972 (84.0%)	$14,255
2020	$4,980 (30.9%)	$11,118 (69.1%)	$16,098
2021	$2,472 (14.2%)	$14,939 (85.8%)	$17,410
2022	$7,931 (34.4%)	$15,154 (65.6%)	$23,085
2023	$6,335 (29.2%)	$15,390 (70.8%)	$21,725

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Park Preparatory Academy)	11.1	26.4	15.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	12.7	14.8	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Park Preparatory Academy)	13.6	9.8	3.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	11.5	12.1	0.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	41.7	37.5	4.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Park Preparatory Academy)	15.4	10	5.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	24.5	24	0.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	61.9	59.7	2.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	434	425	2.1%
African American	428	380	11.2%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	1	1
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	3	32	966.7%
Two or More Races	0	7
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	85.7%	72.9%	12.8%

Schools Near Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)					M-Step Math (2024)					M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palmer Park Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3901 Margareta St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7300	376	28	13.4	62.8%	37 (9.8%)	325 (86.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	18.8	1184^th of 1486 public elementary schools	20.3%		14.9	1238^th of 1470 public elementary schools	15.8%	54	25.4	4.5	37.9	38.1	13.5	22.2	9.1	20.7	23.8	11.5		9.0	19.6	10.6			$21,725	$6,335	$15,390
Bagley Elementary School of Journalism and Technology	Public	PK, KG-6	8100 Curtis St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7175	343	22	15.4	87.5%	0 (0.0%)	333 (97.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	13	1287^th of 1486 public elementary schools	13.4%		21.5	1122^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	23.7%	165			17.9	22.0	10.7	10.0		33.3	19.0	14.5			11.1				$19,701	$6,274	$13,427
Pasteur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	19811 Stoepel St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7314	330	26	12.6	89.7%	1 (0.3%)	327 (99.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.7	1350^th of 1486 public elementary schools	9.2%		10.5	1307^th of 1470 public elementary schools	11.1%	43					17.0	18.9		10.8		6.4	10.8		10.6		6.4		$24,533	$7,822	$16,711
Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2585 Grove St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8100	392	23	17.0	89.8%	0 (0.0%)	388 (99.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.7	1469^th of 1486 public elementary schools	1.1%		5.7	1430^th of 1470 public elementary schools	2.7%	39	17.1		6.4	6.8	8.2	10.0		8.3	9.1				8.2				$20,431	$6,842	$13,588
Mary McLeod Bethune ElementaryMiddle School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	8145 Puritan St	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 494-3830	690	37	18.6	92.3%	2 (0.3%)	678 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	17.6	1209^th of 1486 public elementary schools	18.6%		7.6	1377^th of 1470 public elementary schools	6.3%	168	15.9	10.1	19.0	10.4	13.4	21.4	8.4	16.5	9.1	14.9	21.4	22.9	32.8	7.4	21.8	6.2	$19,771	$6,724	$13,047
Bates Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	19701 Wyoming St	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7000	785	42	18.6	52.1%	0 (0.0%)	783 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84.5	193^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	87.0%		78.6	267^th of 1470 public elementary schools	81.8%	74	77.5	36.0	51.4	76.3	75.0	59.8	52.7	70.3	70.0	51.3	44.1	53.3	64.5	44.4	22.4	28.9	$19,563	$6,215	$13,348
MacDowell Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4201 W Outer Dr	Detroit	48221	Wayne County	MacDowell Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8141	368	19	19.3	91.6%	3 (0.8%)	363 (98.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	11.1				14.7	11.9	7.9							22.2			$14,604	$3,458	$11,146
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	15531 Linwood St	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-8820	520	34	15.2	88.8%	5 (1.0%)	494 (95.0%)	18 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.6	1450^th of 1486 public elementary schools	2.4%		6.4	1410^th of 1470 public elementary schools	4.1%	40	17.1		7.0	6.8	13.0	9.5	13.0	11.9		6.7		8.7	9.1	11.4			$23,235	$7,203	$16,032
Greenfield Union ElementaryMiddle School	Public	K-8	420 W 7 Mile Rd	Detroit	48203	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-2999	248	16	15.5	91.5%	1 (0.4%)	239 (96.4%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	44.4					11.5	19.1							21.1		31.6	$23,696	$7,107	$16,589
Martin Luther King Junior Education Center Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	16827 Appoline St	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	Martin Luther King Junior Education Center Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 341-4944	303	6	50.5	87.8%	0 (0.0%)	299 (98.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23.6	1108^th of 1486 public elementary schools	25.4%		25.2	1070^th of 1470 public elementary schools	27.2%	38	43.5		7.9	23.5	15.4	15.8	23.8	17.9					80.8	82.6			$14,149	$2,561	$11,588

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Palmer Park Preparatory Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Detroit Public Schools Community District:

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Rank History for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for middle school Female students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for middle school Male students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Rank History for middle school African American students at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Enrollment information for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer Park Preparatory Academy

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