Oakridge Middle School

Oakridge Middle School in Muskegon, MI, is an alternative school serving 271 students in grades 3 through 12 within the Oakridge Public Schools district, which holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 24th percentile of Michigan districts.

This school stands out as the largest alternative school in the area—more than double the size of the next closest option, White Lake Area Community Education (129 students), and far larger than Education and Activity Center (26) or Lakeshore Learning Center (21). It is also the only alternative school in the region serving middle school grades, making it a unique resource for families seeking an alternative setting during those formative years. Academically, test scores lag state averages—for example, only 22.4% of 7th graders were proficient in ELA (state: 38.4%) and 13.4% in math (state: 33.3%). However, 8th-grade social studies has shown a strong upward trend, improving from 12.1% proficiency in 2023-2024 to 37.3% in 2025-2026, suggesting targeted interventions may be working.

On the positive side, chronic absenteeism at 32.8% is notably better than several peer schools, including Grand Haven Cyber School (69.3%) and Wesley School (44.8%), even though Grand Haven sits in a much higher-ranked district. The school invests heavily in students, spending $13,861 per pupil—more than double Grand Haven Cyber School’s $6,308—with a student-teacher ratio of 16.8, which is higher than the under-7.0 ratios found at nearby alternative schools. Over half of students (53.14%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, a figure that has been declining from 66.78% in 2022-2023. While the district’s graduation rate (77.4%) trails the state (84.0%), Oakridge’s lower absenteeism relative to peers in more affluent areas highlights the complex challenges alternative schools face across different socioeconomic contexts.