Summary:
Middle Schools in zip code 48237 consist of a single school, Oak Park Preparatory Academy, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 707 students within the Oak Park School District of the City of.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Oak Park Preparatory Academy is facing severe, systemic challenges that affect nearly every aspect of student life and learning. The school has received a 0-star rating for three consecutive years and consistently ranks in the bottom 6% of Michigan middle schools. Academic proficiency is dramatically below state averages across all subjects and grade levels—for example, only 5.3% of 6th graders and 4.5% of 7th graders are proficient in math, compared to roughly 32-33% statewide. Reading and English scores are also very low, with 6th and 7th grade proficiency around 13-14% versus the state’s 37-38%. The one relative bright spot is 8th grade English on the PSAT, where 34.8% of students are proficient, though this is still about half the state average.
Perhaps the most alarming statistic is the chronic absenteeism rate of 71.3%—nearly three times the state average of 27.9%. With three out of four students chronically absent, it is extremely difficult for any instructional program to succeed. The school also serves a predominantly low-income population, with 75.95% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Interestingly, per-student spending is quite high at $20,749, yet outcomes remain critically low, suggesting that financial resources alone are not solving the underlying issues of attendance and student engagement. The student-teacher ratio of 19.1 is slightly above typical, and there has been no meaningful improvement in rankings or test scores over the past three years. Parents should be aware that this school requires significant, non-financial interventions focused on attendance and wraparound support to change its trajectory.
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