Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

South Arbor Charter Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

54^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 96% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

South Arbor Charter Academy is a high-performing public charter school serving 802 students in grades K-8 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

South Arbor Charter Academy significantly outperforms the state average in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, 70.2% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 38.9%, and 72.4% of 4th graders were proficient in math compared to the state average of 39.4%. The school also excels in serving diverse student populations, ranking among the top 1-3 elementary schools in Michigan for Asian, African American, and multi-racial students across multiple grade levels and subject areas. While the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates in recent years, reaching 30.8% in 2022-2023, its rate remains significantly lower than the state average of 15.2%.

When compared to nearby schools, South Arbor Charter Academy stands out as a high-performing institution. For instance, Fortis Academy, located just 4.53 miles away, has significantly lower proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 22.7% of 3rd graders proficient in English Language Arts and 23% proficient in math in 2024-2025. South Arbor Charter Academy's consistent high performance over the past 10 school years, ranking among the top 50 elementary schools in Michigan, demonstrates its ability to provide a quality education to its diverse student population.

800

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,425

Per pupil spending ?

31.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8200 Carpenter Rd
Ypsilanti, MI 48197-9173

(734) 528-2821

District: South Arbor Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.9%

African American:

18.3%

Asian:

16.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare South Arbor Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2015 → 96th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (71% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of Michigan elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg71%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

54^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 4%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

25^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 3%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 613South Arbor Charter Academy among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	94.9	54 of 1488	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	95.1	49 of 1486	96.7%	★★★★★
2023	96.2	35 of 1470	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.9	43 of 1344	96.8%	★★★★★
2021	93.4	43 of 1153	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	93.0	57 of 1408	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	93.4	60 of 1448	95.9%	★★★★★
2017	92.6	50 of 1466	96.6%	★★★★★
2016	96.5	20 of 1548	98.7%	★★★★★
2015	97.3	14 of 1580	99.1%	★★★★★
2014	92.0	55 of 1533	96.4%	★★★★★
2013	88.6	101 of 1563	93.5%	★★★★★
2012	88.5	109 of 1566	93.0%	★★★★★
2011	81.2	143 of 1552	90.8%	★★★★★
2010	77.2	241 of 1552	84.5%	★★★★☆
2009	85.2	73 of 1589	95.4%	★★★★★
2008	85.5	58 of 1577	96.3%	★★★★★
2007	82.5	134 of 1565	91.4%	★★★★★
2006	73.3	333 of 1545	78.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	99.9	1 of 369	99.7%	★★★★★
2024	99.7	1 of 348	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	98.2	3 of 321	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	97.4	3 of 158	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	97.8	1 of 212	99.5%	★★★★★
2018	97.5	7 of 475	98.5%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	90.3	2 of 95	97.9%	★★★★★
2024	84.3	9 of 97	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	89.5	2 of 84	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	79.1	9 of 51	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	10 of 101	90.1%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	68.7	43 of 173	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	94.5	11 of 270	95.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	95.0	44 of 1338	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	50 of 1342	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	92.3	53 of 1321	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.3	40 of 1106	96.4%	★★★★★
2021	85.6	68 of 902	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	90.9	53 of 1171	95.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.6	93 of 1443	93.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	88.0	68 of 1346	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.8	35 of 1381	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	96.1	17 of 1350	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.2	22 of 1099	98.0%	★★★★★
2019	79.6	118 of 1134	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	90.3	51 of 1397	96.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	92.5	69 of 1366	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	48 of 1347	96.4%	★★★★★
2023	96.1	23 of 1334	98.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.8	37 of 1139	96.8%	★★★★★
2021	92.4	32 of 915	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	91.0	60 of 1196	95.0%	★★★★★
2018	94.5	35 of 1446	97.6%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	83.7	13 of 93	86.0%	★★★★☆
2024	85.9	8 of 78	89.7%	★★★★★
2023	91.6	2 of 81	97.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	83.9	152 of 1206	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	87.7	99 of 1204	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.9	36 of 1198	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	93.0	43 of 1102	96.1%	★★★★★
2021	89.5	53 of 1005	94.7%	★★★★★
2019	88.6	77 of 1128	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.2	107 of 1253	91.5%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	96.3	25 of 890	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	98.5	5 of 897	99.4%	★★★★★
2023	97.7	13 of 883	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	96.7	19 of 776	97.6%	★★★★★
2021	97.4	12 of 675	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	97.7	5 of 792	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	98.2	9 of 838	98.9%	★★★★★
2017	99.1	4 of 821	99.5%	★★★★★
2016	99.3	1 of 894	99.9%	★★★★★
2015	98.8	1 of 919	99.9%	★★★★★
2014	96.8	6 of 921	99.3%	★★★★★
2013	93.7	36 of 919	96.1%	★★★★★
2012	94.4	30 of 900	96.7%	★★★★★
2011	88.0	18 of 858	97.9%	★★★★★
2010	87.6	15 of 851	98.2%	★★★★★
2009	89.6	10 of 847	98.8%	★★★★★
2008	86.8	36 of 839	95.7%	★★★★★
2007	84.0	65 of 823	92.1%	★★★★★
2006	76.9	163 of 806	79.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	98.8	4 of 338	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	98.4	3 of 300	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	99.2	4 of 310	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	98.3	6 of 366	98.4%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	90.1	3 of 87	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	91.1	2 of 104	98.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	94.6	28 of 789	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	97.7	6 of 771	99.2%	★★★★★
2023	97.5	9 of 770	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	93.8	24 of 657	96.3%	★★★★★
2021	95.0	18 of 521	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	95.6	13 of 658	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	98.4	4 of 794	99.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	91.5	33 of 832	96.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.3	7 of 836	99.2%	★★★★★
2023	93.5	17 of 825	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	96.3	10 of 691	98.6%	★★★★★
2019	98.3	3 of 672	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	98.5	4 of 815	99.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	95.9	28 of 798	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	98.3	5 of 786	99.4%	★★★★★
2023	96.6	16 of 776	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	97.2	13 of 658	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	96.6	12 of 540	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	97.6	5 of 639	99.2%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	21 of 797	97.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	66.4	51 of 190	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.5	23 of 163	85.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	94.5	25 of 696	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	98.3	4 of 701	99.4%	★★★★★
2023	96.8	10 of 688	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	23 of 638	96.4%	★★★★★
2021	94.1	19 of 577	96.7%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	6 of 624	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	13 of 678	98.1%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2025)100th percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2025)98th percentile~ school

Female (2025)97th percentile~ school

Male (2025)95th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile~ school

White (2025)87th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)86th percentile-10 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)75th percentile-21 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)99th percentile~ school

Asian (2023)97th percentile~ school

Male (2025)96th percentile~ school

Female (2025)96th percentile~ school

White (2025)96th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)96th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)73rd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science73%+33 vs state

English Language Arts71%+30 vs state

Math70%+34 vs state

Mathematics68%+38 vs state

Social Studies65%+26 vs state

4.0

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate South Arbor Charter Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Monday, January 20, 2014

I have been at south arbor for two years and it defenitly deserves a 4 star rating. The teachers are really nice and try their best to help the students acheive. There is not to much drama and bullying going on in the school. There are many after school activites and sports to do for 5th through 8th grade. We are always doing cool social events like middle school mixers which give us an oppurtunity to meet other students like us. I defenitly reccomend this school though the wait line for enrollment may be long. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

This is the best school around - high academic and behavioral standards! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

It's the dumbest school EVER! My child didn't learn a thing when she went there so we switched her out after the first marking period. Close Quote

Schools Near South Arbor Charter Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)					M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
South Arbor Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	8200 Carpenter Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	South Arbor Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 528-2821	800	41	19.7	31.9%	359 (44.9%)	146 (18.3%)	65 (8.1%)	133 (16.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (12.1%)	94.9	54^th of 1488 public elementary schools	96.4%		95.1	49^th of 1486 public elementary schools	96.7%	5	84.8	68.5	70.2	71.3	77.8	69.7	63.3	61.9	72.4	69.7	72.7	73.9	77.8	68.5	54.5	76.1	$12,425	$599	$11,826
Pittsfield Acres Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4377 Textile Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	Pittsfield Acres Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(734) 210-0660	81	5	17.6	100.0%	63 (77.8%)	3 (3.7%)	3 (3.7%)	10 (12.3%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)					45.5								36.4				$16,914	$1,664	$15,250
East Arbor Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6885 Merritt Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	East Arbor Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 484-5506	483	26	18.5	68.7%	103 (21.3%)	232 (48.0%)	64 (13.3%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (15.9%)	37.5	903^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	39.3%		41.7	823^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	44.6%	80	55.6	17.8	20.5	28.3	38.8	51.9	40.5	20.0	26.2	24.5	35.2	26.2	36.7	35.6	22.4	51.1	$15,157	$1,670	$13,487
Childs Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	7300 Bemis Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	Lincoln Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(734) 484-7035	493	33	14.7	53.3%	264 (53.5%)	110 (22.3%)	31 (6.3%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (16.0%)	25.5	1067^th of 1488 public elementary schools	28.3%		32.1	984^th of 1486 public elementary schools	33.8%	83			38.0	32.6	29.8			34.2	29.5	13.1			15.5		9.5		$17,900	$1,098	$16,802
Harvest Elementary School	Public	K-3	1155 Campus Pkwy	Saline	48176	Washtenaw County	Saline Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(734) 401-4501	439	26	16.8	10.3%	322 (73.3%)	3 (0.7%)	37 (8.4%)	41 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.2%)								(n/a)			72.5					78.4									$18,761	$330	$18,431
Bishop Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	8888 Whittaker Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	Lincoln Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(734) 484-7074	486	34	14.2	57.4%	231 (47.5%)	97 (20.0%)	78 (16.0%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (15.0%)	27.2	1053^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	29.2%		29.3	1030^th of 1486 public elementary schools	30.7%	23			26.0	32.9	32.5			37.3	17.6	14.6			32.9		19.5		$17,633	$992	$16,641
Brick Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	8970 Whittaker Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	Lincoln Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(734) 484-7031	500	35	14.4	71.0%	224 (44.8%)	143 (28.6%)	43 (8.6%)	11 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	77 (15.4%)	21.1	1139^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.5%		21.7	1148^th of 1486 public elementary schools	22.7%	9			23.6	28.7	25.6			13.7	17.8	29.5			24.4		16.7		$18,722	$2,107	$16,614
Fortis Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3875 Golfside Rd	Ypsilanti	48197	Washtenaw County	Fortis Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 572-3623	681	40	17.0	89.1%	72 (10.6%)	291 (42.7%)	199 (29.2%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	106 (15.6%)	23.2	1104^th of 1488 public elementary schools	25.8%		31.6	995^th of 1486 public elementary schools	33.0%	109	51.9	24.7	22.7	21.3	32.8	23.7	28.0	23.0	20.3	19.4	25.0	18.7	25.4	23.4	20.9	45.5	$14,447	$1,861	$12,587
Clifford E Bryant Community School	Public	K-2	2150 Santa Rosa Dr	Ann Arbor	48108	Washtenaw County	Ann Arbor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 997-1212	200	18	11.1	43.5%	75 (37.5%)	53 (26.5%)	23 (11.5%)	18 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (15.5%)								(n/a)																	$23,985	$1,712	$22,273
Mary D Mitchell School	Public	K-5	3550 Pittsview Dr	Ann Arbor	48108	Washtenaw County	Ann Arbor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 997-1216	372	28	13.2	57.8%	139 (37.4%)	84 (22.6%)	84 (22.6%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (15.3%)	22.1	1125^th of 1488 public elementary schools	24.4%		19	1179^th of 1486 public elementary schools	20.7%	54			17.0	32.1	26.1			12.0	24.4	21.7			27.3		21.3		$26,207	$1,446	$24,761

Frequently Asked Questions about South Arbor Charter Academy

How many students attend South Arbor Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 800 students attended South Arbor Charter Academy.

Is South Arbor Charter Academy a good school?

Yes! South Arbor Charter Academy is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 54^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of South Arbor Charter Academy?

Students at South Arbor Charter Academy are 45% White, 18% African American, 17% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What district is South Arbor Charter Academy in?

South Arbor Charter Academy

Rate South Arbor Charter Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Ypsilanti, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South Arbor Charter Academy!

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.