Reach Charter Academy

Reach Charter Academy is the sole elementary school serving grades K-8 in the Reach Charter Academy District, which is ranked 483 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. With a total enrollment of 577 students, the school stands out for its predominantly African American student population (85.96%), significantly higher than the state average. However, this high-minority school faces significant challenges, including an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 51.3% and consistently low academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas, with test scores well below the state averages.

For example, in 3rd grade English Language Arts, only 11.7% of Reach Charter Academy students scored proficient or better, compared to the state average of 39.6%. Despite spending $13,294 per student, which is higher than the state average, the school's academic outcomes remain poor, suggesting that the issue may not be a lack of resources, but rather how those resources are being utilized and allocated to support student learning and achievement.

The combination of a high-minority student population, extremely high chronic absenteeism, and consistently low academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas indicates that Reach Charter Academy is a struggling school with significant challenges that will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify and address the root causes of the school's underperformance.