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Paragon Charter Academy

Q: Is Paragon Charter Academy a good school?

Paragon Charter Academy ranks 617 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

617^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Paragon Charter Academy is an elementary school in Jackson, Michigan, serving 604 students in grades K-8. The school is part of the Paragon Charter Academy District, which is ranked 129 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Paragon Charter Academy's academic performance is generally on par with or slightly below the state averages, but the school stands out in its performance for African American students, who consistently rank in the top 120-37 among Michigan elementary schools in the past 3 years. However, the school's performance for male students has been more variable, ranking between 409 and 734 among Michigan elementary schools. The school also experiences relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 39.6% over the past 3 school years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby public schools in the Jackson Public Schools district, Paragon Charter Academy generally outperforms them in academic performance and has lower chronic absenteeism rates. However, some nearby public magnet schools, such as Sharp Park Academy, have demonstrated stronger academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts and Math, compared to Paragon Charter Academy.

627

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,335

Per pupil spending ?

63.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3750 McCain Rd
Jackson, MI 49201-7675

(517) 750-9500

District: Paragon Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.9%

African American:

22.0%

Two or more races:

15.3%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Paragon Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 68th percentile in 2022 → 59th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (48% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Above the Michigan median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 68th-percentile peak (2022) to 59th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg48%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

617^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to top 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

126^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

129^th of 613Paragon Charter 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	617 of 1488	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	654 of 1486	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.3	486 of 1470	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.6	435 of 1344	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.0	516 of 1153	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	672 of 1408	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.0	741 of 1448	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.5	708 of 1466	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.4	748 of 1548	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.1	754 of 1580	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.1	654 of 1533	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.2	794 of 1563	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.2	812 of 1566	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.4	850 of 1552	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.0	1041 of 1552	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.4	627 of 1589	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.9	685 of 1577	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.8	631 of 1565	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.1	967 of 1545	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	120 of 369	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	89 of 348	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.4	37 of 321	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	72.6	9 of 51	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.3	60 of 212	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	65.9	101 of 475	78.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	555 of 1338	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	511 of 1342	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.6	551 of 1321	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.4	428 of 1106	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.8	426 of 902	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.3	683 of 1171	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	882 of 1443	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	520 of 1346	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	554 of 1381	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	380 of 1350	71.9%	★★★★☆
2022	65.3	296 of 1099	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	41.2	449 of 749	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.1	701 of 1134	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.4	808 of 1397	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	48.1	681 of 1366	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	734 of 1347	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	65.7	409 of 1334	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	449 of 1139	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	503 of 915	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.7	669 of 1196	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.0	550 of 1446	62.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	496 of 1206	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.6	398 of 1204	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.9	346 of 1198	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.6	351 of 1102	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.6	317 of 1005	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.8	371 of 1128	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	436 of 1253	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	81.2	126 of 890	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	85.9	94 of 897	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	89.8	76 of 883	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	77.4	126 of 776	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	70.7	145 of 675	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	60.5	267 of 792	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	378 of 838	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.2	244 of 821	70.3%	★★★★☆
2016	62.9	293 of 894	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.7	264 of 919	71.3%	★★★★☆
2014	67.7	263 of 921	71.4%	★★★★☆
2013	44.8	538 of 919	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.0	443 of 900	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.7	493 of 858	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.7	493 of 851	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.5	351 of 847	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.6	303 of 839	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.8	368 of 823	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.6	573 of 806	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	95.5	12 of 338	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	90.9	12 of 300	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	87.6	23 of 310	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	69.7	44 of 196	77.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	60 of 366	83.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	85.6	87 of 789	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	86 of 771	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	90.0	49 of 770	93.6%	★★★★★
2022	78.3	92 of 657	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	66.6	119 of 521	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	37.6	406 of 658	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.2	451 of 794	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	84.8	61 of 832	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	86.3	51 of 836	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	88.8	36 of 825	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	80.5	73 of 691	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	69.0	103 of 523	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	62.9	194 of 672	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	57.9	310 of 815	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	66.2	211 of 798	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	80.1	117 of 786	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.8	102 of 776	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	66.6	162 of 658	75.4%	★★★★☆
2021	73.7	99 of 540	81.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.8	155 of 639	75.7%	★★★★☆
2018	63.1	266 of 797	66.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	75.3	138 of 696	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	74 of 701	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	93.1	32 of 688	95.3%	★★★★★
2022	90.6	46 of 638	92.8%	★★★★★
2021	88.4	45 of 577	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	78.1	104 of 624	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	54.5	282 of 678	58.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2025)67th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)61st percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)59th percentile~ school

Female (2025)59th percentile~ school

Male (2025)50th percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)96th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)89th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)80th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics64%+33 vs state

Science52%+12 vs state

Social Studies49%+10 vs state

Math46%+10 vs state

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, August 22, 2021

My child started at Paragon as a kindergartener in Fall 2020. The rules about in-person, hybrid, and online schooling were rapidly changing and I was beyond stressed. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the way Paragon stepped up for the plate during this time. The staff did a wonderful job of keeping my kiddo safe while also giving him a great education. The principal is very hands-on and present. Shoutout to Mr. Reigle for being my sons favorite teacher and for getting him excited about computers. We toured 6 elementary schools in and Jackson before deciding on Paragon. I can say with confidence that this school is the best choice for families living in the Jackson Public District. Close Quote

Schools Near Paragon Charter Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)					M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Paragon Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3750 McCain Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Paragon Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 750-9500	627	35	17.8	63.8%	263 (41.9%)	138 (22.0%)	78 (12.4%)	50 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	96 (15.3%)	56.6	617^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.5%		53.7	654^th of 1486 public elementary schools	56.0%	37	72.7	63.6	36.8	41.7	38.8	37.0	57.6	59.2	46.6	34.3	40.7	45.0	41.8	68.2	32.8	72.7	$12,335	$1,197	$11,137
Dibble Elementary School	Public	K-5	3450 Kibby Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3970	282	17	17.0	70.2%	133 (47.2%)	74 (26.2%)	18 (6.4%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (19.1%)	40.1	861^st of 1488 public elementary schools	42.1%		36	920^th of 1486 public elementary schools	38.1%	59			37.7	45.2	46.9			39.6	38.1	20.4			28.6		14.3		$18,066	$5,940	$12,126
Local Based Special Education Early Childhood Programs	Public	PK-K	1226 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 990-3624	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cascades Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1200 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-3900	398	28	14.0	91.0%	117 (29.4%)	164 (41.2%)	29 (7.3%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (19.6%)	11.4	1332^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	10.5%		6.1	1436^th of 1486 public elementary schools	3.4%	104			21.9	9.6	19.6			20.5		7.1			12.5		10.7		$20,288	$6,003	$14,286
Hunt Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1143 N Brown St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2610	366	27	13.5	95.4%	116 (31.7%)	122 (33.3%)	38 (10.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (23.2%)	13.4	1290^th of 1488 public elementary schools	13.3%		12.6	1295^th of 1486 public elementary schools	12.9%	5			21.6	13.7	15.2			27.5	5.9	10.9			28.3		6.5		$18,094	$4,782	$13,313
Sharp Park Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	766 Park Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2860	337	19	17.5	60.2%	158 (46.9%)	95 (28.2%)	23 (6.8%)	16 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (13.1%)	71.7	388^th of 1488 public elementary schools	73.9%		71.2	388^th of 1486 public elementary schools	73.9%				50.0	72.0	54.9			40.5	62.0	34.0			47.1		45.1		$16,352	$5,735	$10,617
JPS Montessori Center	Public	K-5	820 Bennett St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3870	146	9	16.9	78.1%	59 (40.4%)	38 (26.0%)	6 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (28.8%)	24	1094^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.5%		17.8	1205^th of 1486 public elementary schools	18.9%	111			37.5	12.5	36.0			25.0	29.2	12.5			20.0				$19,364	$6,649	$12,715
Bean Elementary School	Public	K-5	3201 Noble Rd	Spring Arbor	49283	Jackson County	Western School District	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-8470	409	19	21.5	37.9%	342 (83.6%)	8 (2.0%)	23 (5.6%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (7.6%)	70.8	403^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	72.9%		70.7	397^th of 1486 public elementary schools	73.3%	6			50.0	75.5	55.6			46.3	54.7	38.9			51.4		34.7		$12,977	$416	$12,561
John R Lewis Elementary	Public	K-5	154 W Clark St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2600	140	10	13.5	95.0%	51 (36.4%)	68 (48.6%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.9%)	9.5	1367^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.1%		21.1	1155^th of 1486 public elementary schools	22.3%	212			13.0	13.6				19.1									$22,284	$3,511	$18,773
Da Vinci Schools K5	Public, Virtual, Charter	PK, KG-5	559 Murphy St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Da Vinci Schools	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(517) 780-9980	117	7	15.8	79.5%	83 (70.9%)	8 (6.8%)	4 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (18.8%)	26.7	1057^th of 1488 public elementary schools	29.0%		34.8	940^th of 1486 public elementary schools	36.7%	117			33.3	19.1				38.9	19.1				28.6				$15,067	$2,166	$12,901

Frequently Asked Questions about Paragon Charter Academy

What district is Paragon Charter Academy in?

Paragon Charter Academy

Is Paragon Charter Academy a good school?

Paragon Charter Academy ranks 617^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paragon Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 627 students attended Paragon Charter Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Paragon Charter Academy?

Students at Paragon Charter Academy are 42% White, 22% African American, 15% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 8% Asian.

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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.