Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Summary:

Carstens ElementaryMiddle School is a public school in Detroit, Michigan, serving 303 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. The school has a predominantly African American student population and faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and high levels of economic disadvantage.

Carstens ElementaryMiddle School's student population is over 99% African American, which is significantly higher than the racial diversity of the nearby schools, such as Hamilton Academy, Nichols ElementaryMiddle School, and Garvey Academy. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 47.6% in 2020-2021 to 77.3% in 2021-2022, which is significantly higher than the state average and the rates of the nearby schools. Academically, Carstens ElementaryMiddle School's performance, as measured by M-Step and PSAT test scores, is consistently lower than the state and Detroit Public Schools Community District averages.

The high rates of chronic absenteeism, economic disadvantage, and low academic performance at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School and the nearby schools suggest that these schools face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to their students. Factors such as resource availability, teacher quality, and community support may be contributing to these performance issues, and addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive, district-wide approach to improving educational quality and equity.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

13000 Essex Ave
Detroit, MI 48215-3243

(313) 866-5500

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1299^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,767

Students who attend Carstens ElementaryMiddle School usually attend:

High:

East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 303

Racial breakdown:

African American:

99.3%

White:

0.3%

Two or more races:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Carstens ElementaryMiddle School ranks worse than 87.4% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 16^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 12.27. (See more...)

Compare Details Carstens ElementaryMiddle School ranks worse than 89.5% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.03. (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 (99.3%), two or more races (0.3%), White (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School is 14, which is the 11^th best among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Carstens ElementaryMiddle School employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School is $22,767, which is the 17^th highest among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carstens ElementaryMiddle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Carstens ElementaryMiddle School 1299^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Carstens ElementaryMiddle School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Carstens ElementaryMiddle School 803^rd of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Carstens ElementaryMiddle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status 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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	12.27	1299^th	1486	12.6%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.32	1395^th	1397	0.1%
2024	16.62	1206^th	1381	12.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.40	1441^st	1443	0.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.77	1441^st	1446	0.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	13.07	475^th	475	0.0%
2024	33.13	219^th	348	37.1%

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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	12.03	803^rd	897	10.5%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.90	811^th	815	0.5%
2024	16.11	741^st	836	11.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.40	785^th	794	1.1%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	14.64	360^th	366	1.6%
2024	30.12	201^st	300	33.0%

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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	316	1	0	0	317
2018	2	359	1	1	0	363
2019	1	307	0	2	0	310
2020	1	307	0	1	0	309
2021	0	282	0	1	0	283
2022	2	288	0	1	0	291
2023	1	301	0	0	1	303

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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	317	15.0	21.1	87.7
2018	363	18.0	20.1	92
2019	310	22.0	14.0	92.6
2020	309	20.0	15.4	88.7
2021	283	21.0	13.4	91.5
2022	291	21.0	13.8	93.8
2023	303	21.5	14.0	95

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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	317	15.0	21.1	87.7
2018	363	18.0	20.1	92
2019	310	22.0	14.0	92.6
2020	309	20.0	15.4	88.7
2021	283	21.0	13.4	91.5
2022	291	21.0	13.8	93.8
2023	303	21.5	14.0	95

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 Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,389 (15.0%)	$13,543 (85.0%)	$15,932
2020	$5,307 (31.3%)	$11,623 (68.6%)	$16,931
2021	$2,540 (13.1%)	$16,864 (86.9%)	$19,404
2022	$8,023 (34.4%)	$15,318 (65.6%)	$23,341
2023	$7,620 (33.5%)	$15,147 (66.5%)	$22,767

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	310	303	2.3%
African American	307	301	2%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	1
Two or More Races	0	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.6%	95%	2.5%

Schools Near Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

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 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carstens ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	13000 Essex Ave	Detroit	48215	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-5500	303	22	14.0	95.0%	1 (0.3%)	301 (99.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12.3	1299^th of 1486 public elementary schools	12.6%					(n/a)	33.3		12.5			14.3	13.0	29.2	9.7			13.6		14.3		$22,767	$7,620	$15,147
Detroit Merit Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1091 Alter Rd	Detroit	48215	Wayne County	Detroit Merit Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 331-3328	703	39	18.0	92.5%	2 (0.3%)	649 (92.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.7%)	18.1	1199^th of 1486 public elementary schools	19.3%		17.6	1198^th of 1470 public elementary schools	18.5%	1	35.4	23.1	21.7	28.6	25.6	31.6	32.0	21.7	20.7	5.1	13.2	18.0	14.1	26.2	13.8	$12,722	$2,431	$10,291
Detroit Enterprise Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	11224 Kercheval St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Enterprise Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-5799	746	41	18.1	96.6%	3 (0.4%)	688 (92.2%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.2%)	28.7	1041^st of 1486 public elementary schools	29.9%		36.8	897^th of 1470 public elementary schools	39.0%	144	63.6	28.6	27.4	23.8	25.0	40.0	33.8	31.0	24.4	11.8	39.2	35.4	15.8	22.1	9.1	$12,877	$2,295	$10,582
George Defer Elementary School	Public	K-4	15425 Kercheval Ave	Grosse Pointe Park	48230	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4000	441	28	15.7	16.3%	361 (81.9%)	25 (5.7%)	18 (4.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.7%)	90.3	102^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	93.1%		90.5	106^th of 1470 public elementary schools	92.8%	4			80.8	64.0				80.8	58.4							$16,400	$882	$15,517
Hutchinson ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2600 Garland St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-4169	329	26	12.9	91.5%	1 (0.3%)	328 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.8	1345^th of 1486 public elementary schools	9.5%		8.4	1353^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	8.0%	8	25.0	14.3	11.4	21.6	14.3	17.4	19.1	9.5				10.6		21.4		$23,272	$8,072	$15,200
Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	10800 E Canfield St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-6000	333	18	18.5	96.7%	0 (0.0%)	332 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	36.8			12.5	7.5		12.9							31.6		$16,311	$2,703	$13,608
Lewis Maire Elementary School	Public	K-4	740 Cadieux Rd	Grosse Pointe	48230	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4300	234	15	15.6	6.0%	199 (85.0%)	7 (3.0%)	14 (6.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	96.8	24^th of 1486 public elementary schools	98.4%		94.6	51^st of 1470 public elementary schools	96.5%	27			74.5	80.4				76.4	82.1							$17,337	$789	$16,548
Hamilton Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	14223 Southampton St	Detroit	48213	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 870-0556	293	18	16.0	98.0%	0 (0.0%)	292 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4.5	1475^th of 1486 public elementary schools	0.7%					(n/a)	27.3				6.4					6.4		7.9	6.4			$20,488	$7,270	$13,218
Nichols ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	3000 Burns St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 852-0800	291	15	19.0	86.3%	5 (1.7%)	281 (96.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	7.5	1403^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	5.6%		14.3	1244^th of 1470 public elementary schools	15.4%	159	36.0	20.0	15.6	11.1		8.8	11.1							16.0	64.0	$22,670	$7,300	$15,371
Garvey Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2301 Van Dyke St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-7400	362	30	12.2	87.0%	0 (0.0%)	359 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9.8	1346^th of 1486 public elementary schools	9.4%		7.6	1373^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	6.6%	27	19.4		21.4	21.4	12.1	6.7		21.4	9.5							$23,772	$6,428	$17,344

Frequently Asked Questions about Carstens ElementaryMiddle School

What district is Carstens ElementaryMiddle School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

What is the racial makeup of Carstens ElementaryMiddle School?

Students at Carstens ElementaryMiddle School are 99% African American.

Is Carstens ElementaryMiddle School a good school?

Carstens ElementaryMiddle School ranks in the bottom 12.6% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Carstens ElementaryMiddle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 303 students attended Carstens ElementaryMiddle School.

What schools do graduates of Carstens ElementaryMiddle School attend?

Students who attend Carstens ElementaryMiddle School usually go on to attend:

High : East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.