Summary:
Countryside Academy is a public charter school district in Benton Harbor, Michigan, serving students in grades K-5 at a single elementary school. With a total enrollment of 380 students, Countryside Academy Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Michigan elementary schools over the past three years, earning a 1 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.
Academically, Countryside Academy Elementary struggles, with proficiency rates on the M-Step assessments significantly lower than state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 13.8%, compared to the state average of 38.9%. The school's highest proficiency rate was in 4th grade English Language Arts at 35.7%, but this was still well below the state average of 42.4%. Math and science performance is also notably low, with 5th grade proficiency rates of 8.93% in math and 17.9% in science, compared to state averages of 32.9% and 40.3%, respectively.
Countryside Academy Elementary faces several challenges, including a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (90.26%) and a chronic absenteeism rate of 29.5% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school's per-student spending of $11,486 for the 2023-2024 school year is slightly above the state average, but these resources do not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes for students. Overall, the data suggests that Countryside Academy is struggling to provide a high-quality education to its students, and the district may need to implement targeted interventions to address the underlying factors contributing to the school's challenges.
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