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Paramount Charter Academy

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

1293^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Paramount Charter Academy is an elementary school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 370 students. The school is a public charter and part of the Paramount Charter Academy District, which is ranked 534 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Paramount Charter Academy consistently ranks in the bottom 15-20% of Michigan elementary schools based on the statewide SchoolDigger ranking. The school's proficiency rates in M-Step/English Language Arts and M-Step/Math are significantly lower than the state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd-grade proficiency rates were 20.5% in ELA and 11.4% in Math, compared to the state averages of 38.9% and 42.7%, respectively. The school's performance on PSAT assessments for 8th-grade students is also well below the state averages, with only 34.8% proficient in ELA and 13.04% proficient in Math, compared to the state averages of 65.3% and 30.4%.

Paramount Charter Academy also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 46.6% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state average. The school has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 93.14% to 93.51% in recent years, indicating a high concentration of students from low-income families. While the school spends significantly more per student, ranging from $13,343 to $18,833 in recent years, and has a student-teacher ratio that has varied from 13.8 to 22.3, these factors do not appear to be translating into improved educational outcomes for its students. In comparison, the nearby public schools, such as Winchell Elementary School and ParkwoodUpjohn Elementary School, consistently outperform Paramount Charter Academy in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas.

373

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,302

Per pupil spending ?

95.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3624 S Westnedge Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-2969

(269) 553-6400

District: Paramount Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.8%

Two or more races:

24.4%

White:

17.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Paramount Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 1st percentile in 2021 → 13th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 13th (2025) from a 1st-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (18% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg18%

Michigan avg41%

Elementary school

1,293^rd of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 55 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

696^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

534^th of 613Paramount 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	13.4	1293 of 1488	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	1172 of 1486	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	1169 of 1470	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	6.3	1286 of 1344	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.5	1141 of 1153	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	1200 of 1408	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	1233 of 1448	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.5	1202 of 1466	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.9	1166 of 1548	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	66.4	508 of 1580	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.7	495 of 1533	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.8	692 of 1563	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.9	611 of 1566	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.1	831 of 1552	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.8	830 of 1552	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.5	790 of 1589	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.5	449 of 1577	71.5%	★★★★☆
2007	67.3	535 of 1565	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.9	621 of 1545	59.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2019	49.6	95 of 212	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	28.6	354 of 475	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	18.4	1106 of 1338	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	1055 of 1342	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	1074 of 1321	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	1013 of 1171	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	1127 of 1443	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.2	1132 of 1346	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	1090 of 1381	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	994 of 1350	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	1049 of 1099	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.6	740 of 749	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.3	929 of 1134	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.4	1183 of 1397	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	1298 of 1366	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	971 of 1347	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	1041 of 1334	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	1061 of 1196	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1264 of 1446	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	18.5	1096 of 1253	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	696 of 890	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.7	609 of 897	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.5	623 of 883	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.8	691 of 776	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.3	633 of 792	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	707 of 838	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.3	658 of 821	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.4	605 of 894	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	42.8	544 of 919	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	61.8	329 of 921	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.6	348 of 919	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.6	314 of 900	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.9	544 of 858	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.8	554 of 851	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.6	565 of 847	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	70.9	260 of 839	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	72.1	229 of 823	72.2%	★★★★☆
2006	67.5	297 of 806	63.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	62.3	75 of 300	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	23.3	300 of 366	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	591 of 789	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.3	551 of 771	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	584 of 770	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.0	475 of 658	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	595 of 794	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	621 of 832	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.5	506 of 836	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.4	550 of 825	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.6	497 of 672	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	657 of 815	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	51.0	333 of 786	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.2	565 of 776	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	708 of 797	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2019)55th percentile+40 vs school

Female (2025)17th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile+3 vs school

White (2018)13th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

African American (2024)75th percentile+43 vs school

Male (2024)58th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile+3 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts22%-19 vs state

Social Studies22%-25 vs state

Math13%-23 vs state

Mathematics13%-17 vs state

Science12%-29 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen on FaceBook
Thursday, August 2, 2012

Paramount Charter Academy is an excellent choice for Y5- 8th grade education in Kalamazoo, MI. Students attending this school strive for a college education and have a solid foundation based on: Academic Excellence, Moral Focus, Student Accountability and Parent Partnership. Each student begins their day with a hand shake, direct eye contact and a morning greeting. The teachers are outstanding, preparing the students for academics and encouraging leadership values. After moving on to High School, Paramount Charter Academy students are eligible for 67% of the KPS Promise if they continue their education within the KPS School District. Why transition a student every 3 years when you can keep them in one place from Kindergarten through Middle School? The best part is the dress code, what a budget saver! And the even better than best part is the time spent in the car each day with your child, sharing their excitment and stories - that time is priceless! Close Quote

Schools Near Paramount 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 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
Paramount Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3624 S Westnedge Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Paramount Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 553-6400	373	25	15.1	95.2%	65 (17.4%)	182 (48.8%)	35 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (24.4%)	13.4	1293^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	13.1%		19.2	1172^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	21.1%	121	34.8	13.0	20.5	19.4	16.2	30.4	29.2	11.4	12.9	16.2	13.0	10.8	13.6		21.7	$18,302	$2,477	$15,825
ParkwoodUpjohn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2321 S Park St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0720	427	27	15.7	50.1%	228 (53.4%)	109 (25.5%)	22 (5.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (15.0%)	58	595^th of 1488 public elementary schools	60.0%		61.5	530^th of 1486 public elementary schools	64.3%	65			39.3	62.2	48.6			44.0	40.5	24.3		44.3		40.0		$17,148	$3,525	$13,623
Woods Lake ElementaryA Magnet Center For The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3215 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0790	501	26	19.3	78.8%	120 (24.0%)	248 (49.5%)	40 (8.0%)	9 (1.8%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (15.4%)	18.6	1187^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.2%		18	1201^st of 1486 public elementary schools	19.2%	14			12.8	26.1	36.1			12.5	15.6	19.3		22.9		21.3		$16,870	$3,865	$13,006
Milwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Lovers Ln	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0660	362	22	16.4	70.4%	135 (37.3%)	123 (34.0%)	38 (10.5%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (16.9%)	16.8	1227^th of 1488 public elementary schools	17.5%		20.1	1163^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	21.7%	64			23.5	25.0	21.3			23.5	10.0	20.0		21.5		15.2		$19,350	$4,339	$15,011
Washington Writers Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1919 Portage St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0770	260	18	14.7	94.2%	37 (14.2%)	159 (61.2%)	18 (6.9%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (15.8%)	9.5	1366^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.2%		9.1	1363^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	8.3%	3			9.8	22.0	10.8				19.5			8.1				$19,237	$4,229	$15,008
Winchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2316 Winchell Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0780	465	25	18.6	42.4%	257 (55.3%)	90 (19.4%)	23 (4.9%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	84 (18.1%)	86.9	175^th of 1488 public elementary schools	88.2%		79.6	254^th of 1486 public elementary schools	82.9%	79			62.8	57.7	68.3			61.6	55.1	51.2		68.3		62.2		$14,115	$2,723	$11,392
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	3501 Moreland St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0560	93	9	9.8	61.3%	36 (38.7%)	32 (34.4%)	6 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (18.3%)								(n/a)			33.3					47.6								$21,778	$5,997	$15,782
El Sol Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	604 W Vine St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0230	368	22	17.0	57.1%	161 (43.8%)	22 (6.0%)	129 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.0%)	38.4	888^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.3%		39.5	856^th of 1486 public elementary schools	42.4%	32			34.5	44.7	52.3			36.2	29.2	16.4		33.3		17.9		$17,492	$4,172	$13,319
Edison Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	831 Lake St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0550	376	28	13.4	96.3%	59 (15.7%)	233 (62.0%)	21 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	52 (13.8%)	16.5	1237^th of 1488 public elementary schools	16.9%		14	1259^th of 1486 public elementary schools	15.3%	22			29.1	12.5	23.0			32.7	5.4	11.3		24.2		11.3		$19,208	$4,733	$14,474
Angling Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5340 Angling Rd	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-6000	360	25	14.6	28.9%	243 (67.5%)	26 (7.2%)	35 (9.7%)	27 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.1%)	61.8	540^th of 1488 public elementary schools	63.7%		71.2	386^th of 1486 public elementary schools	74.0%	154			45.5	53.4	52.5			50.0	36.2	34.4		42.6		40.3		$15,202	$1,016	$14,186

Frequently Asked Questions about Paramount Charter Academy

What is the racial makeup of Paramount Charter Academy?

Students at Paramount Charter Academy are 49% African American, 24% Two or more races, 17% White, 9% Hispanic.

How many students attend Paramount Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 373 students attended Paramount Charter Academy.

What district is Paramount Charter Academy in?

Paramount Charter Academy

Is Paramount Charter Academy a good school?

Paramount Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 13.1% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Paramount Charter Academy!

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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.