Warrendale Charter Academy

Warrendale Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 680 students in a highly economically disadvantaged area where over 97% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

If you're comparing schools in this part of Detroit, Warrendale stands out for its reading and writing results. In 3rd grade English Language Arts, about 31% of Warrendale students met proficiency targets—more than double the rate at nearby Mann Learning Community (13.5%) and several times higher than Gardner Elementary School (8.6%) or Carver STEM Academy (5.5%). This pattern holds across most grade levels—for example, 7th grade ELA proficiency at Warrendale (30.3%) is more than triple that of Carver STEM (8.9%). The school also shows a strong track record serving its African American students, ranking in the 62nd percentile statewide for that group, even though the school overall sits in the 24th percentile. Perhaps most encouraging, Warrendale is improving: its state ranking jumped from the 9th percentile in 2023-24 to the 24th percentile now, while many neighboring schools have stayed flat or declined.

That said, there are real challenges. Math and science scores are critically low—only 13% of 6th graders hit math targets (state average: 32%), and just 11% of 5th graders passed science (state average: 40%). Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with nearly 60% of students missing significant school time, though that's better than some Detroit Public Schools Community District neighbors where rates exceed 70%. On a positive note, Warrendale achieves these results while spending less per student ($14,735) than nearby district schools like Gardner ($24,447) or Henderson Academy ($21,236), suggesting efficient use of resources. For parents weighing options, Warrendale appears to be a school on an upward path, particularly strong in reading, though STEM subjects and attendance remain areas needing attention.