The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Social studies. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Countryside Academy Middlehigh School
Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School is a public charter school on Meadowbrook Road in Benton Harbor, part of the Countryside Academy district. Though its directory listing covers grades two through twelve, the current enrollment shows students only in grades six through twelve, so the lower elementary grades listed in the profile appear to have no enrolled students at this time. The school serves a moderate-sized secondary population for a charter setting.
The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a smaller White enrollment and a handful of students identifying as multiracial, Asian, or American Indian/Alaska Native. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding community. Data on English-learner status and special-education enrollment was not available, so those populations cannot be described here.
On Michigan's state assessments for the most recent reported year, math proficiency was very low across all three tested middle school grades. Sixth-grade math proficiency fell in the lowest reported band, and seventh and eighth grade results were only marginally higher. English language arts showed a different pattern: proficiency was modest in sixth and seventh grade but rose considerably by eighth grade, where a sizable portion of students reached proficiency. Eighth-grade science proficiency was low, and social studies results were moderate by comparison. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Berrien County. A parent may want to look into how the school supports math instruction across the middle grades, given the consistently low results there, and ask about what drives the improvement seen in eighth-grade ELA.
No graduation rate was available for this school, and no chronic absenteeism data was reported. We looked for the district's recent strategic priorities or parent-relevant changes and found little beyond static directory and demographic information, so we left that out rather than guess. No data on advanced coursework, career pathways, dual enrollment, discipline, staffing ratios, or attendance was provided.
Benton Harbor sits across the St. Joseph River from its twin city of St. Joseph and has roots as a shipping and manufacturing center. The city is compact and accessible via several interstate and state highways. Whirlpool Corporation, the dominant employer in the area, maintains its corporate headquarters in nearby Benton Charter Township with additional campuses in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. The downtown has seen business closures over the years and has been the focus of revitalization efforts dating to the late 1990s. An Ox Creek improvement project involving the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and the University of Michigan aims to restore the stream corridor through downtown. The city completed replacement of all lead service water lines by late 2023 after a public health crisis over elevated lead levels. Benton Harbor's population has been declining over recent decades. Lake Michigan College, a two-year community college, sits just east of the city, and a branch of Siena Heights University also operates locally. Jean Klock Park offers Lake Michigan beachfront access, and Sarett Nature Center provides trails and programming nearby. The city co-hosts the annual Blossomtime Festival with St. Joseph.
Housing in the school's zip code is well below both the state and national benchmarks for typical home values, making this one of the more affordable housing markets in the region. Rent data was not available. With mortgage rates hovering in the mid-six percent range and median household incomes below the national level, the cost of ownership here is relatively low in absolute terms, though local purchasing power is constrained.
This is a charter school serving a predominantly low-income, majority-minority student population in a city working through decades of economic and population decline. Its academic results are currently among the weaker ones in Berrien County, particularly in math, though the eighth-grade ELA results suggest some students are finding their footing in literacy. Families considering this school would benefit from asking directly about math intervention strategies, high school course offerings, graduation outcomes, and how the school plans to build on its literacy gains.
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