Summary
Timberland Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 678 students in grades K-8 in Muskegon, Michigan. Despite its relatively large size, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Michigan elementary schools over the past decade, earning a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Timberland Academy is part of the Timberland Academy District, which is also ranked 529 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.
Timberland Academy's academic performance is significantly below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 23.9% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 38.9%, and the math proficiency rate for 3rd graders was 22.5% compared to 42.7% statewide. The school also faces extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 50.3% over the past few years, much higher than the state average. Additionally, Timberland Academy serves a very high-need population, with 97.64% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, significantly higher than the nearby schools.
Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Oakridge Lower Elementary, Shettler School, and Beach Elementary, generally outperform Timberland Academy across academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and lower chronic absenteeism. Despite the relatively high spending per student at Timberland Academy, ranging from $11,145 to $13,956 per year, the school's performance has remained consistently poor over the past decade, with little to no improvement in its state ranking or academic proficiency rates.
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