Questions Regarding School Districts

The state actually grades each school every year. Go to this website: https://oeaa.state.mi.us/ayp/

THis site contains a lot of good information about how each school is doing. You can search by school or school district, or city. Good luck!

Hi,
I live in Van Buren Township and some of my neighbors have had good things to say about the preschool program and have been satisfied with Tyler Elementary. However, many parents are sending their children to charter schools. I have a 3 year old who is in the Plymouth Canton preschool program which has been great! I do not know much about Belleville High School. I am looking at all my options for where my child will attend school next. I would love to know where your children will be going for K-8?

When we were getting ready to move I searched everywhere on the internet for info on schools. I came across an excellent site that I will use when we move again. It's www.greatschools.org. The best thing about this site is it gives you the (I believe) average score from the tests that the schools are required to give students (such as the MEAP). There are also parent reviews and you can compare schools. I hope this helps!

Na Tasha,

I am a product of the Plymouth Canton school district, I really liked it. A lot of the people I went to school with have stayed in that area and sent their own kids there. I work in Jackson so we live in Dexter now. As far as the HS goes, the 3rd one wasn't there when I attended but I thought the "campus" style of the HS really helped me make the transition to college. As for Van Buren, I personally would not send my kids there, I would consider it a mediocre district from what I remembered living in the area. Also, my husbands family grew up there and they have all moved out because crime and such has gone up in that area. I would just try to steer clear of the Michigan Ave corridor if you can as far as a house goes, Canton police spend most of their time in that area. Best of luck to you!!!

Personally I would go with the Plymouth-Canton schools. I have many friends with students in the district and have heard nothing but good things about the programs. Especially in the higher grades. Good luck.

I have heard that Plymouth Canton schools are highly ranked. I know they have a good band program. Sorry, can't help on Van Buren.

S.

I live in Belleville. My children are not high school age yet but from eerything that I have heard from neighbors whose children have attended Belleville High I can only say that I have not heard any glowing endorsements. I do not plan to send my children to Belleville High. The district did finally pass a mileage to make improvements to the physical plant but that only addresses one aspect of the school. I have heard good things about Plymouth/Canton district and have several friends with children in elementary, middle and high school in the district. Good luck.

Neither Plymouth/Canton nor Van Buren made Newsweek's annual list of top schools. Google Newsweeks top high schools and it lists them by year. You can also narrow the search to schools in Michigan only. It's very interesting. The only school on your side of town that made it to the list was Thurston HS in Redford!

Plymouth Canton is an excellent school district; plenty of resources, etc. Van Buren is more of a rural district. School is closed a lot due to weather and poor road conditions. Economic level is lower in Van Buren overall.

Hi Na Tasha,

I went to Plymouth Canton schools from grades 6-12 (Pioneer Middle School, Salem High School) and had a great experience. They have great extra curricular activities (I was in gymnastics and Marching Band) and from what I remember, the teachers were great! It also helped that I found a great group of friends through marching band - I am still friends with a core group of them today, and I married one of them ;)
I know a couple of the teachers who teach at the high school, and from what they've told me, that is the school district they'd send their children to.

Good luck!