Woodland Park Academy

Woodland Park Academy is a public K-8 school in Grand Blanc, MI, serving 278 students as its own single-school district, where 84% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Woodland Park Academy currently ranks in the bottom 18th percentile statewide, and its test scores lag significantly behind nearby schools in the Grand Blanc Community Schools district. For example, 5th-grade ELA proficiency sits at 25%, compared to 70.9% at Lillian G Mason Elementary School and 61.3% at Indian Hill Elementary School. Even schools serving more economically disadvantaged populations within Grand Blanc, like McGrath Elementary School and Reid Elementary School, outperform Woodland Park in 3rd-grade ELA (42.7% and 42.9% vs. 34.2%). Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at 38.8%—nearly three times the state average—and far above nearby schools like Cook Elementary School (13.5%) and Lillian G Mason (13.4%). While other area charters like Grand Blanc Academy (52.2%) and Madison Academy ElementaryMiddle School (51.6%) also struggle with attendance, Woodland Park’s rate remains a serious obstacle to learning.

There are some encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism has dropped steadily from a peak of 57.1% in 2021-2022 to 38.8% now, suggesting improvement efforts may be working. Also, 8th-grade ELA proficiency jumped to 52.6% on the PSAT (up from 28.6%), and social studies reached 36.8%—the school’s strongest scores. Notably, Woodland Park spends $13,917 per student, comparable to high-performing Grand Blanc schools like Brendel Elementary School ($13,723), indicating funding is not the issue. For parents, this school offers small class sizes and a dedicated middle school team showing promise, but you’ll want to weigh the academic challenges and attendance concerns carefully against other options in the area.