Dearborn City School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Dearborn, Michigan - 36 schools

An equity score of 70/100 ranks Dearborn City School District #79 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,677 per pupil, Dearborn City School District ranks #78 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

20,128
Total Enrollment
36
Schools
$16,677
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Dearborn City School District operates 36 public schools serving 20,128 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 22 combined, 7 middle, 6 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wayne County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,677 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 83 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 25.9% local, 52.7% state, and 21.4% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 70/100, ranked #79 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 36 schools offering Advanced Placement (82 AP courses district-wide), a 452:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.9% White, 3.1% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Long Elementary School, with a diversity index of 43.0/100.

Its largest campus is Fordson High School, enrolling 1,966 students (10% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Dearborn Newcomer College Prep Academy, at 24 students, a 82x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Dearborn City School District school enrollment varies 82× across entities

Dearborn City School District school enrollment ranges from 24 students (lowest) to 1,966 students (highest), a spread of 1,942 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Dearborn City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 73.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Dearborn City School District student-counselor ratio is 452:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Dearborn City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 35.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

21.4%
Federal
52.7%
State
25.9%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
79 / 707
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 36 schools in Dearborn City School District.

White 92.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
African American 3.1%
Asian 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Dearborn City School District's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Long Elementary School 43.0
  2. 2 Smith Middle School 36.1
  3. 3 Duvall Elementary School 30.8
  4. 4 Nowlin Elementary School 28.7
  5. 5 Whitmorebolles Elementary School 25.1

Programs & Resources

4 / 36
Schools with AP
82 AP courses total
452:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Dearborn City School District

School Enrollment
Fordson High School
1,966
Dearborn High School
1,775
Edsel Ford High School
1,502
Bryant Middle School
781
Woodworth Middle School
699
Stout Middle School
698
Henry Ford Elementary School
697
William Ford Elementary School
580
Miller Elementary School
575
Haigh Elementary School
552
Maples Elementary School
541
Smith Middle School
525
Unis Middle School
522
Lowrey Elementary School
515
Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K12
515
Snow Elementary School
465
Salina Intermediate 4 8
461
Lowrey Middle School
448
Howard Elementary School
436
Mccollough Elementary School
424
Henry Ford Early Collegeadvanced Manufacturing
422
Salina Elementary P 3
406
Geer Park Elementary School
380
River Oaks Elementary School
366
Mcdonald Elementary School
357
Charles a Lindbergh Elementary School
316
Whitmorebolles Elementary School
316
Oakman Elementary School
253
Howe Trainable Center and Montessori
247
Nowlin Elementary School
243
Long Elementary School
238
Duvall Elementary School
229
Iris Becker Elementary School
224
Henry Ford Early College
220
Dearborn Stem Middle School
166
Dearborn Newcomer College Prep Academy
24

How Dearborn City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Ann Arbor Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Rochester Community School District Smaller Lower spending Similar funding mix
Chippewa Valley Schools Smaller Lower spending Similar funding mix
Utica Community Schools Larger Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Dearborn City School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Michigan

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Dearborn City School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Dearborn City School District?

Dearborn City School District has 36 schools, including 6 high, 7 middle, 22 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 20,128 students.

How much does Dearborn City School District spend per student?

Dearborn City School District spends $16,677 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #79 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Dearborn City School District?

Dearborn City School District students are 92.9% White, 3.1% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Asian, averaged across 36 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Dearborn City School District?

Dearborn City School District has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #79 out of 707 districts in Michigan.