Gardner Elementary School

Summary:

Gardner Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Detroit, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 282. The school is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which is ranked 563 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Gardner Elementary School faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism rates, and a student population that is predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are well below the state and district averages, with only 24.4% of 4th graders proficient in ELA in 2023-2024, compared to 43.3% statewide. Additionally, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 85% in 2021-2022, significantly above the state and district averages. Despite the high level of economic disadvantage, with over 89% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Gardner Elementary spends a relatively high amount per student, around $21,000 in 2022-2023, which is above the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Carver STEM Academy, Warrendale Charter Academy, and the Dearborn-based schools, also perform poorly compared to state averages, but generally outperform Gardner Elementary in academic metrics and have lower chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, Gardner Elementary's performance is particularly low for its female, white, and low-socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Michigan elementary schools for these groups, while the school's African American and English Language Learner students perform slightly better, ranking in the bottom 30-40% of schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

6528 Mansfield St
Detroit, MI 48228-5209

(313) 581-4615

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1365^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,323

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Cody High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 253

Racial breakdown:

African American:

58.5%

White:

30.8%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Gardner Elementary School ranks worse than 91.9% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 30^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 8.94. (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 (58.5%), White (30.8%), Hispanic (9.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School is 15.8. 34 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Gardner Elementary School employs 16 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gardner Elementary School is $21,323, which is the 31^st highest among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gardner Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Gardner Elementary School 1365^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Gardner Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary 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 Gardner Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2019	6.47	1339^th	1408	4.9%
2023	9.74	1321^st	1470	10.1%
2024	8.94	1365^th	1486	8.1%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.82	244^th	270	9.6%
2023	31.92	124^th	180	31.1%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	17.30	1228^th	1397	12.1%
2022	7.56	1059^th	1099	3.6%
2023	15.90	1163^rd	1350	13.9%
2024	13.93	1245^th	1381	9.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.41	1349^th	1443	6.5%
2024	7.75	1275^th	1342	5.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	12.13	1295^th	1446	10.4%
2023	13.37	1171^st	1334	12.2%
2024	13.93	1187^th	1347	11.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.52	427^th	475	10.1%
2024	37.11	194^th	348	44.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Gardner Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.59	1208^th	1253	3.6%
2023	8.67	1141^st	1198	4.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White 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 Gardner Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	101	143	4	5	0	1	5	259
2018	94	144	2	5	1	0	0	246
2019	80	158	2	6	1	0	1	248
2020	81	169	0	15	1	0	2	268
2021	72	179	0	10	1	1	3	266
2022	51	210	0	11	0	1	1	274
2023	35	237	1	6	0	0	3	282
2024	78	148	0	25	1	0	1	253

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 Gardner Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	259	12.0	21.5	79.2
2018	246	16.2	15.1	84.6
2019	248	16.0	15.5	84.3
2020	268	15.0	17.8	82.1
2021	266	19.0	14.0	81.6
2022	274	19.0	14.4	92
2023	282	14.2	19.8	89
2024	253	16.0	15.8	83

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 Gardner Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	259	12.0	21.5	79.2
2018	246	16.2	15.1	84.6
2019	248	16.0	15.5	84.3
2020	268	15.0	17.8	82.1
2021	266	19.0	14.0	81.6
2022	274	19.0	14.4	92
2023	282	14.2	19.8	89
2024	253	16.0	15.8	83

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 Gardner Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,492 (15.9%)	$13,160 (84.1%)	$15,652
2020	$5,030 (31.2%)	$11,100 (68.8%)	$16,130
2021	$2,541 (13.8%)	$15,806 (86.2%)	$18,347
2022	$7,627 (33.8%)	$14,957 (66.2%)	$22,584
2023	$7,235 (33.9%)	$14,088 (66.1%)	$21,323

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gardner Elementary 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1339^th of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 1321^st of 1470 Elementary schools	5.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Elementary School)	16.7	7.7	9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	11.9	12.4	0.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Elementary School)	13.9	8	5.9%
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%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	248	282	13.7%
African American	158	237	50%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	6	6
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	80	35	56.3%
Two or More Races	1	3	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.3%	89%	4.7%

Schools Near Gardner Elementary 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 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gardner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6528 Mansfield St	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 581-4615	253	16	15.8	83.0%	78 (30.8%)	148 (58.5%)	25 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	8.9	1365^th of 1486 public elementary schools	8.1%		9.7	1321^st of 1470 public elementary schools	10.1%	44				24.4	10.4			8.9	20.5	6.3			8.3				$21,323	$7,235	$14,088
Maples Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6801 Mead St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6454	549	39	14.0	93.3%	540 (98.4%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	41.8	820^th of 1486 public elementary schools	44.8%		44.8	771^st of 1470 public elementary schools	47.6%	49			50.6	38.6	33.0			66.7	37.2	27.2			16.3		7.6		$18,148	$3,398	$14,750
Detroit Premier Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7781 Asbury Park	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Premier Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 945-1472	703	32	21.8	94.6%	9 (1.3%)	610 (86.8%)	24 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.3%)	11.9	1310^th of 1486 public elementary schools	11.8%		11.9	1284^th of 1470 public elementary schools	12.7%	26	48.2	16.1	17.1	16.3	15.3	20.0	12.7	25.0	12.2	16.7	9.3	14.5	6.9	17.9		5.4	$12,884	$2,288	$10,597
Oakman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7545 Chase Rd	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6500	265	19	13.7	97.4%	264 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.5	774^th of 1486 public elementary schools	47.9%		41.8	822^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	44.1%	48			40.0	35.9	38.6			54.0	36.6	39.1			26.1		13.0		$19,728	$3,502	$16,226
William Ford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14749 Alber St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-6400	569	45	12.7	93.1%	556 (97.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39.2	861^st of 1486 public elementary schools	42.1%		34.5	927^th of 1470 public elementary schools	36.9%	66			23.5	36.2	47.3			39.1	36.1	37.6			32.3		10.8		$19,564	$2,975	$16,588
Carver STEM Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	18701 Paul St	Detroit	48228	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 240-6622	472	26	18.1	89.8%	29 (6.1%)	400 (84.7%)	35 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	8.8	1368^th of 1486 public elementary schools	7.9%		4.2	1460^th of 1470 public elementary schools	0.7%	92	27.1	8.5		8.3	25.8	8.9	8.3					7.3	17.1	12.1			$19,856	$6,384	$13,472
McCollough Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7801 Maple St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-1700	410	30	13.5	91.0%	398 (97.1%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40.1	847^th of 1486 public elementary schools	43.0%		27.6	1028^th of 1470 public elementary schools	30.1%	181			33.8	36.8	40.8			40.3	41.0	32.9			30.6		12.3		$19,029	$3,630	$15,399
Lowrey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Jonathon St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-1800	525	37	14.2	91.2%	511 (97.3%)	3 (0.6%)	7 (1.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59	568^th of 1486 public elementary schools	61.8%		66.1	457^th of 1470 public elementary schools	68.9%	111			35.9	40.9	52.0			64.6	54.7	49.0			35.3		17.6		$19,052	$4,258	$14,794
The Dearborn Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	19310 Ford Rd	Dearborn	48128	Wayne County	The Dearborn Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 982-1300	528	33	16.0	96.4%	282 (53.4%)	56 (10.6%)	187 (35.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8.1	1382^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	7.0%		6.9	1396^th of 1470 public elementary schools	5.0%	14	29.4	12.7	5.7	13.7	19.2	11.1	10.2	7.0	17.0	5.6	10.7	16.4	13.0	23.6		7.3	$17,616	$4,963	$12,653
Henry Ford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16140 Driscoll St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Dearborn City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 827-4700	721	51	14.1	92.5%	688 (95.4%)	10 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	31.7	992^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	33.2%		29	1003^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	31.8%	11			20.0	38.8	37.4			29.7	39.3	27.3			31.3		8.1		$19,508	$2,805	$16,703

Frequently Asked Questions about Gardner Elementary School

Is Gardner Elementary School a good school?

Gardner Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.1% of Michigan elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Gardner Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Cody High School

What district is Gardner Elementary School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

How many students attend Gardner Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 253 students attended Gardner Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Gardner Elementary School?

Students at Gardner Elementary School are 58% African American, 31% White, 10% Hispanic.

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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.