Marshall Academy, Marshall MI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Academy

Marshall Academy is a charter school sitting on Homer Road just outside the core of Marshall, a small historic city that serves as the seat of Calhoun County. The school covers kindergarten through twelfth grade under a single roof, which gives it the feel of a small community school rather than a sprawling campus. Its charter was reauthorized in the summer of 2024 with a contract running several years forward, so families considering it have some assurance of continued operation. The charter authorizer lists the education service provider as Teachers First, Inc.

The enrollment is small, with roughly two dozen students per grade in the elementary and middle years and a tapering population in the upper high school grades. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority white with a sizable Black population and a smaller Hispanic presence. The school does not report data for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so a parent whose child falls into either group would want to ask the school directly about available services.

On state assessments, Marshall Academy's results sit in the bottom quartile among districts in Calhoun County for overall proficiency. In math, third grade was the strongest showing, with a moderate share of students meeting proficiency, but from fourth grade through eighth the proficiency rates dropped to the low teens or low twenties. Fifth grade math was reported in a range indicating very few proficient students. ELA followed a similar pattern, with most grades landing in the low twenties and only eighth grade reaching a somewhat higher level. Science results were modest in both fifth and eighth grades. Social studies was mixed: fifth grade showed very few proficient students, while eighth grade reached a level where half the tested students were proficient. The tested groups are small, sometimes fewer than two dozen students, which means a few children moving above or below the proficiency line can shift the picture considerably. Still, the overall pattern across grades and subjects is one of academic struggle, and a parent may want to look into how the school supports students who are below grade level, what intervention resources exist, and how the curriculum is structured across the K-through-12 span.

The school serves all grades through high school, but no graduation rate was reported in the available data. This could reflect the school's small senior class, its charter status, or simply a reporting gap. A family considering Marshall Academy for a high school student should ask the school directly about graduation outcomes, college enrollment, and what advanced or elective coursework is available. The data provided does not include information on AP courses, dual enrollment, career pathways, or program offerings, so those questions remain open.

Marshall itself is a town with a strong identity. Its downtown historic district contains a large concentration of 19th- and early 20th-century buildings spanning Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, and other architectural styles, and it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark District. The town has deep agricultural roots, with many students involved in FFA and 4-H, and it hosts the oldest continuously operating county fair in Michigan. Business Loop I-94 runs through downtown, and the town sits at the junction of I-69 and I-94, giving it reasonable highway access to Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Jackson, and Lansing. Amtrak service is available in nearby Battle Creek and Albion.

The biggest change coming to the area is the Ford BlueOval Battery Park, a large battery manufacturing facility planned for a megasite in Marshall Township. The project involved land transfers from the township to the city to provide utility access, and it drew vocal public opposition. The development is poised to shift the town's character from a preserved historic community toward industrial manufacturing, which could affect employment, population, and housing demand in the coming years.

Housing in the school's zip code is modestly priced, below the state benchmark and well below the national figure. Year-over-year home values have risen slightly. Mortgage rates remain elevated by recent historical standards, and the national unemployment rate has held steady. For a family looking at the area, housing costs are likely to be more accessible than in many parts of Michigan, though the incoming Ford facility could change that picture over time.

Marshall Academy is a small charter option in a town undergoing a transition. Its academic results are currently weak across most tested grades and subjects, and the available data does not speak to graduation outcomes or program depth. Families drawn to a small K-through-12 environment with a single building and a mixed student population may find the structure appealing, but the academic picture suggests a parent should ask hard questions about instruction, support, and outcomes before committing.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=50%Cohort of 15 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,027 schools plotted. 80 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

This schoolMarshall Academy, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.