Highpoint Virtual Academy of MIchigan

Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan is a large, statewide virtual school based in Mesick, MI, serving 3,455 students in grades K-12, with a predominantly at-risk population reflected in its nearly 80% free/reduced lunch rate.

For parents considering this option, the most important takeaway is that academic outcomes are significantly below state averages and far behind the nearby Buckley Community Schools. Proficiency gaps are stark—for example, 6th-grade math proficiency sits at just 5.3% compared to Buckley’s 54.1%, and 8th-grade science proficiency is 9.9% versus Buckley’s 64.7%. The graduation rate is 60.0%, with a dropout rate of 23.7%, while Buckley graduates 90.6% of its students with a 6.2% dropout rate. Chronic absenteeism—measured by logins and assignment submissions in a virtual setting—is 43.7%, more than double Buckley’s 18.9%, suggesting many students are disengaged. While the school serves a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (79.7% versus Buckley’s 45.7%), the performance gap is substantial even accounting for these differences.

There are a few notable patterns worth understanding. First, while both ELA and math are below state averages, math is critically underperforming—7th-grade ELA proficiency is 13.8% versus just 5.1% in math, and on the SAT, 11th graders score 28.5% proficient in reading/writing but only 2.3% in math. Second, there is a slight positive trend: graduation rates have improved from 47.4% in 2020-2021 to 60.0% in 2024-2025, suggesting some interventions may be helping. Finally, per-student spending at $11,741 is lower than Buckley’s $13,775 but not drastically so, indicating the challenges are less about funding and more about the inherent difficulties of virtual education for an at-risk population—including motivation, parental involvement, and lack of in-person support. Parents should weigh these factors carefully when considering Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan as an option for their child.