Holly Park Academy

Holly Park Academy is a single K-8 school in Lansing, Michigan, serving 478 students as its own district, with a high-poverty population where 91% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school shows a concerning pattern of inconsistent performance and declining achievement as students advance. While the school improved its state ranking from 1,253rd in 2023-2024 to 998th in 2024-2025, it fell back to 1,107th in 2025-2026, dropping to a 1-star rating. The most striking issue is the dramatic year-to-year volatility within grade levels—for example, 3rd grade math proficiency fell from 45.3% to 28.6% between years, while 4th grade ELA jumped from 20.0% to 33.9%. This instability suggests small class sizes and inconsistent instructional quality across grades. Math is a critical weakness throughout the school, with 5th grade math proficiency at just 9.62% compared to the 32.2% state average, and 8th grade PSAT math at 13.9% versus 33.2% statewide. The school also shows a "5th grade cliff" where performance drops sharply in both subjects, likely reflecting difficulties with the transition to more demanding coursework.

Chronic absenteeism affects 35.2% of students—well above the 27.9% state average—which likely compounds academic struggles. Despite spending $15,781 per student, outcomes remain below state averages, raising questions about resource allocation. However, there are bright spots: 3rd grade ELA in 2024-2025 exceeded the state average at 43.4%, and 8th grade PSAT ELA proficiency (50-52.5%) is relatively close to the state's 64.8%, suggesting reading skills develop better than math. Cohort tracking reveals performance erodes as students progress, with the same group of students declining 9.5 points in ELA and 12 points in math between 3rd and 4th grade. Parents should be aware that while early elementary shows potential, the school faces systemic challenges in math, upper grades, and attendance that require targeted intervention.