Cole Academy

The Cole Academy district in the Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan area consists of two K-5 elementary schools—Cole Academy and Cole Academy East—serving a combined 303 students in a district that ranks in the bottom third of Michigan districts.

For parents comparing the two schools, Cole Academy East is the stronger performer across nearly every measure. It holds a better state ranking (34th percentile vs. 32nd), has shown more consistent results over three years, and posts higher test scores in most subjects—notably 40% proficiency in 5th grade ELA versus no data at Cole Academy. It also benefits from a far better student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1 compared to 25.8:1 at its sister school, and it serves a lower percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (54% vs. 66%). The spending gap—$11,539 per student at East versus $10,638 at Cole Academy—appears to translate directly into more teaching staff and better outcomes. Meanwhile, Cole Academy shows a troubling pattern: proficiency plunges from 3rd to 4th grade (ELA drops from 32% to 15%, math from 44% to 15%), and it lacks 5th grade test data entirely, suggesting possible reporting gaps or cohort issues.

Both schools face significant challenges. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with roughly one-third of students chronically absent—well above the state average of 27.9%. Neither school consistently meets state proficiency averages, with gaps as wide as 26 points in 4th grade ELA. However, there is a bright spot: Cole Academy improved dramatically from the 13th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 32nd percentile in 2025-2026, a positive trajectory worth watching. For parents, Cole Academy East offers the more stable and academically supportive environment, while Cole Academy shows recent promise but carries higher poverty rates, larger class sizes, and more volatile test results.