Saginaw Preparatory Academy

Saginaw Preparatory Academy is the sole public magnet charter school serving grades PK-8 in the Saginaw area, with 308 students. The school has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom 10% of Michigan elementary schools and earning a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. With a predominantly African American student population (82.14%) and 96.75% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school faces significant socioeconomic challenges.

Academically, Saginaw Preparatory Academy struggles, with proficiency rates well below the state averages across multiple subjects and grade levels. For example, in 3rd grade English Language Arts, only 17.86% of students are proficient, compared to the Michigan average of 39.6%. The school's math and science proficiency rates are similarly low. Additionally, the school has an alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 61.2%, which can negatively impact student learning and outcomes.

Despite higher-than-average spending per student ($12,399) and a relatively low student-teacher ratio (15.7 students per teacher), the school's academic performance remains poor. This suggests that simply increasing funding or reducing class sizes may not be enough to drive meaningful improvements. The Saginaw Preparatory Academy community may require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the root causes of the school's challenges and implement effective, evidence-based interventions to support student learning and success.