Summary:
Cross Creek Charter Academy is a single K-8 charter school in Byron Center, Michigan, serving 809 students and operating as its own district, which means the school’s performance directly mirrors the Cross Creek Charter Academy district ranking of 10th out of 625 Michigan districts.
This school is an academic powerhouse, consistently earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 4% of all Michigan schools for three straight years (62nd, 41st, and 57th out of roughly 1,490 schools). Its strongest subject is math, where every grade level outperforms the state by at least 25 percentage points. For example, 4th graders hit an 84.5% proficiency rate—a staggering 45 points above the state average—while 7th graders posted 67.9% proficiency, a 34.6-point advantage. The school also excels in reading, with 4th and 5th graders achieving proficiency rates near 74%, roughly 30 points above state averages. Science and social studies are equally impressive: 8th graders scored 82.6% in social studies (32 points above the state) and 67.4% in science (28 points above). Even the 8th-grade PSAT shows strength, with 86% proficiency in ELA and 66.3% in math—both well above state norms.
What makes this success even more notable is the school’s efficiency and engagement. With 41.29% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, Cross Creek still maintains a chronic absenteeism rate of just 12.2%, less than half the state average of 27.9%. Per-student spending is $11,831, which is reasonable given the outcomes. While there were slight dips in 3rd-grade scores this year, the school shows strong year-over-year growth in 8th grade, particularly in social studies (+9.2 points) and PSAT math (+11.9 points). For parents, this school offers a balanced, high-achieving education across all subjects, with a proven track record of lifting students well above state benchmarks—making it a standout choice in the Byron Center area.
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