Bay City Academy Farragut Campus

Bay City Academy Farragut Campus is an alternative public school academy in Bay City, MI, serving 373 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, where 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most impressive story here is the school's dramatic turnaround in graduating its students. The graduation rate has soared from just 53.8% in 2021-2022 to an impressive 88.2% today—beating the state average of 84%. The dropout rate has similarly plummeted from 23% to just 5.8%, which is lower than the state average. This is especially notable when compared to nearby alternative schools like The Success Academy in Saginaw, which struggles with a staggering 78.9% dropout rate. Even compared to Bangor Township Virtual School, which has a similar graduation rate, Bay City Academy outperforms it significantly in 11th-grade reading and science scores.

Academically, this school shows a fascinating pattern: while elementary grades (3-7) lag behind state averages in reading and math, the upper grades shine. In 8th and 11th grades, science proficiency exceeds state averages (46.7% and 44% vs. 39.2% and 35.2%), and social studies scores are even stronger, with 11th graders hitting 52% proficiency versus the state's 43.2%. The school also made a huge leap in SAT reading and writing scores, jumping from 28% to 46.2% proficiency in just one year. The biggest challenge remains chronic absenteeism at 45.2%—much higher than the state's 27.9%—though this is common among alternative schools (Francis Reh PSA sits at 57.5%). Despite this hurdle, the school's ability to graduate students at above-average rates suggests its support systems are working well for those who show up consistently.