HPS district receives poor grading

The Hamtramck Public Schools’ elementary and middle schools received poor grades for their performance from a conservative policy center.

By Charles Sercombe
The report card is in for the Hamtramck Public School District’s elementary schools and the middle school, and it’s not something any parent would want their student to bring home.
All four of the district’s elementary schools and its only middle school were given barely passing to failing grades, with Holbrook Elementary School earning a full-on “F” – as in, Fail.
That ranking was made by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, in its 2025 Michigan Context and Performance Report Card.
According to a press release issued by the Center, the report “takes into consideration both test scores and student socioeconomic backgrounds to conduct a more accurate assessment of how well schools are teaching children.”
According to Dr. Molly Macek, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and author of the report:
“Our goal is to provide a resource that offers a fair and comprehensive evaluation of school performance. By considering the socioeconomic context, we can better understand and recognize the efforts of schools and educators that are making significant strides in education.”
Here’s how Hamtramck’s public elementary and middle schools ranked:
Dickinson East Elementary, “C”
Tau Beta, “C”
Kosciuszko Middle School, “D”
Dickinson West Elementary, “D”
Holbrook Elementary, “F”
The Review reached out to Hamtramck School District Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler for comment on the district’s rankings, but he did not respond.
While the public schools did poorly, four charter schools in Hamtramck were given grades of “A.”
Those charter schools include: Hamtramck Academy, Hanley International Academy, Caniff Liberty, and Bridge Academy.
Hamtramck Academy was the fifth-highest performing school in the state, according to the report.
The release of the rankings comes at a time when the public school district faced some financial challenges.
The federal government recently announced that it will not reimburse $7 million to the district for covid grant money that was budgeted in advance to fund school building improvement projects.
The district had received permission from the Biden administration for a delay in submitting costs for the work, but the Trump administration backed out on that promise.
Superintendent Shidler said the district was actually owed $3.9 million, and noted that he had included receiving that money in the district’s upcoming budget with the assumption that the federal government would live up to its promise.
Although Trump’s administration didn’t back down, a court ruled in favor of the payment extension, said Shidler at Wednesday’s monthly school board meeting.
Shidler said the money owed to the district is expected to hit the district coffers by next week.
Shidler thanked state Attorney General Dana Nessel for her “advocacy in defense of Michigan Public Schools.”
However, the HPS district continues to bleed students over the past few years, which means a loss in revenue.
The state pays the district $9,600 for each student. A few years ago, the district had 3,062 students enrolled, but this year that number is down to 2,890 – which translates into a loss of $1.65 million in revenue per year.
The district also faces stiff competition from over half a dozen charter schools that operate either in the city, or just outside of its boundaries.
On top of that, the district twice failed to convince voters to renew a millage worth about $1 million a year.
In the meantime, the district has been burning through its budget surplus.
Posted May 16, 2025