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Cole Academy East

Q: Is Cole Academy East a good school?

Cole Academy East ranks 992 nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

992^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Cole Academy East is a small K-5 charter elementary school in East Lansing, MI, serving 148 students within the Cole Academy district. The school has a 2-star rating and ranks in the 34th percentile statewide, with about 54% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

The most distinctive pattern at Cole Academy East is what might be called a "fifth grade effect." While 3rd-grade ELA proficiency sits at just 18.18% and 4th-grade has dropped to 21.43%, 5th-grade students achieve 40% proficiency in ELA—nearly matching the state average of 43.8% and far exceeding the district's 22.9%. This consistent trend across multiple years suggests that students who stay through 5th grade experience meaningful academic growth, possibly due to effective interventions or a strong upper-grade teaching team. The school also demonstrates notable resource efficiency, spending $11,539 per student—substantially less than nearby East Lansing School District schools like Glencairn School ($13,461) or Gier Park School ($19,792) in the Lansing Public School District—while achieving results competitive with Lansing-area schools serving similar demographics.

The school's biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism, with 32.2% of students missing significant school time in 2024-2025, above the state rate of 27.9%. This likely contributes to inconsistent early-grade performance. When compared to nearby East Lansing schools like Whitehills Elementary School (62.8% 3rd-grade ELA proficiency) or Donley Elementary School (39%), Cole Academy East trails significantly—a gap that reflects both socioeconomic differences and resource disparities. However, the school outperforms several Lansing schools with similar student populations, and its 5th-grade science scores (33.33%) approach those of some higher-ranked nearby schools. For parents, this school offers a tight-knit environment where students who persist show real growth by upper elementary, though attendance and early foundational skills remain areas needing attention.

148

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,539

Per pupil spending ?

54.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2921 E Coleman Rd
East Lansing, MI 48823-7324

(517) 580-3470

District: Cole Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

29.7%

Hispanic:

29.1%

African American:

25.7%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Cole Academy East to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2022 → 34th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (29% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2022

!English Language Arts scores 16 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg21%

Michigan avg38%

992^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 17 pts since 2022

From top 50% (2022) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Cole Academy

444^th of 625Cole Academy among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	992 of 1492	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.1	978 of 1488	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	785 of 1486	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.2	884 of 1470	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	671 of 1344	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.0	710 of 1343	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	766 of 1338	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.9	971 of 1342	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	935 of 1321	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	800 of 1346	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	903 of 1381	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.6	880 of 1350	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	1002 of 1366	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.2	617 of 1347	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	802 of 1334	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	60.2	452 of 1204	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	594 of 1198	50.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2024)62nd percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)47th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science33%-7 vs state

Math32%-6 vs state

English Language Arts25%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cole Academy East

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cole Academy East	Public, Charter	K-5	2921 E Coleman Rd	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	Cole Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(517) 580-3470	148	9	16.4	54.1%	44 (29.7%)	38 (25.7%)	43 (29.1%)	3 (2.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.2%)	30.7	992^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	33.5%		32.1	978^th of 1488 public elementary schools	34.3%	14			18.2	21.4	40.0			36.4	1372.9	26.7			33.3		1480.9		$11,539	$896	$10,643
Post Oak School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	2320 Post Oak Ln	Lansing	48912	Ingham County	Lansing Public School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 755-1610	430	28	15.2	65.6%	162 (37.7%)	78 (18.1%)	109 (25.3%)	19 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (14.4%)	53.6	648^th of 1492 public elementary schools	56.6%		60.9	551^st of 1488 public elementary schools	63.0%	97	57.4	21.3	56.5	64.3	36.7	50.0	47.3	58.7	52.4	18.3	37.5	36.4	26.7	44.7	13.3	48.9	$17,973	$2,904	$15,069
Robert L Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1811 Pinecrest Dr	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	East Lansing School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 333-7870	273	21	13.1	33.7%	143 (52.4%)	52 (19.0%)	27 (9.9%)	19 (7.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.3%)	70.8	392^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	73.7%		80.7	263^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	82.3%	129			54.9	57.8	56.0			56.9	47.8	40.0			46.0		30.0		$15,049	$1,089	$13,960
Ingham Independent School District (Isd) ASD Programs	Public	PK, KG-8	1811 Pinecrest Dr	East Lansing	48854	Ingham County	Ingham Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 244-1471	11	3	3.6	54.5%	10 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Whitehills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	621 Pebblebrook Ln	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	East Lansing School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 333-7900	286	18	15.6	24.5%	183 (64.0%)	32 (11.2%)	35 (12.2%)	17 (5.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.9%)	79.1	276^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.5%		87.9	159^th of 1488 public elementary schools	89.3%	117			62.8	46.2	59.3			67.4	40.4	51.9			57.4		50.0		$14,448	$605	$13,843
Glencairn School	Public	PK, KG-5	939 N Harrison Rd	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	East Lansing School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 333-7930	298	18	16.1	23.8%	186 (62.4%)	30 (10.1%)	32 (10.7%)	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (12.1%)	76.1	322^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	78.4%		77.3	300^th of 1488 public elementary schools	79.8%	22			55.4	42.9	64.4			47.4	49.0	53.3			55.8		51.1		$13,461	$723	$12,738
Gier Park School	Public	PK, KG-4	401 E Gier St	Lansing	48906	Clinton County	Lansing Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 755-1360	316	21	14.8	89.9%	104 (32.9%)	76 (24.1%)	83 (26.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (16.5%)	12.4	1325^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.2%		15.1	1257^th of 1488 public elementary schools	15.5%	68			17.1	18.1				13.3	20.8								$19,792	$3,313	$16,478
Pattengill School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	815 N Fairview Ave	Lansing	48912	Ingham County	Lansing Public School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 755-1130	706	39	18.3	88.8%	147 (20.8%)	190 (26.9%)	222 (31.4%)	23 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	121 (17.1%)	16.6	1247^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.4%		23.8	1097^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.3%	150	41.8	10.1	14.7	13.7	25.0	25.3	16.7	22.7	6.8	15.8	20.0	17.7	22.4	17.7	11.8	19.0	$18,089	$3,339	$14,750
Donley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2961 E Lake Lansing Rd	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	East Lansing School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 333-7370	262	20	12.9	57.3%	100 (38.2%)	68 (26.0%)	38 (14.5%)	19 (7.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (13.7%)	52.2	666^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.4%		44.9	794^th of 1488 public elementary schools	46.6%	128			39.0	22.9	56.1			48.8	18.8	39.0			53.7		34.1		$17,720	$1,592	$16,128
Marble School	Public	PK, KG-5	729 N Hagadorn Rd	East Lansing	48823	Ingham County	East Lansing School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 333-7860	306	20	15.4	35.6%	175 (57.2%)	49 (16.0%)	35 (11.4%)	8 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (12.4%)	79.2	273^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	81.7%		71.7	390^th of 1488 public elementary schools	73.8%	117			49.0	51.0	63.0			56.9	47.1	57.4			55.6		48.1		$14,217	$611	$13,605

Frequently Asked Questions about Cole Academy East

Is Cole Academy East a good school?

Cole Academy East ranks 992^nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cole Academy East?

Students at Cole Academy East are 30% White, 29% Hispanic, 26% African American, 12% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Cole Academy East in?

Cole Academy

How many students attend Cole Academy East?

In the 2024-25 school year, 148 students attended Cole Academy East.

Rate Cole Academy East!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.