Macomb Montessori Academy

Macomb Montessori Academy is a public charter school in Warren, MI, serving 255 students in grades PK-8, where over 96% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school faces significant challenges, most notably in academics and attendance. State test scores are critically low, with the school ranking in the bottom 10% of Michigan elementary schools. For example, only about 9% of 4th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to a 41% state average, and 3rd-grade math proficiency was under 9% versus a 43% state average. Chronic absenteeism is the school's most defining issue—while it has improved dramatically from a peak of 67% in 2021-2022 to 49.6% in 2024-2025, it remains nearly double the state average of 27.9%. This high rate of missing school is a major barrier to learning. On a more positive note, the school shows a relative strength with its African American students, who rank in the 21st percentile statewide—better than the school's overall 8th percentile ranking. There is also a bright spot in the upper grades: 8th graders taking the PSAT showed a 42.3% proficiency rate in ELA, which is notably higher than the school's own elementary scores.

Compared to nearby schools, Macomb Montessori is outperforming its closest geographic neighbor, Crescentwood Elementary School in Eastpointe, which has a 1st percentile ranking and a 60.4% chronic absenteeism rate. Among other charter "academies" in the area, Macomb Montessori's academic ranking is on par with Eaton Academy and Trix Academy (all at the 8th percentile), but its attendance issues are more severe than Eaton's (41.6%). The school spends $13,682 per student—less than nearby traditional public schools like Marjorie Carlson Elementary School ($23,962) and Fisher Magnet Academy ($22,419)—yet achieves comparable or better academic rankings than many of these better-funded schools. The substantial reduction in chronic absenteeism is the most encouraging trend, suggesting that targeted efforts to improve attendance may eventually lead to better academic outcomes.