The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on State Street Academy
StateStreet Academy is a charter school in Bay City, Michigan, serving students from prekindergarten through tenth grade. It operates as its own charter district rather than belonging to a traditional public school system. The enrollment is small for a school spanning that many grades, and class sizes at the tested grade levels are modest, which means a parent can expect a setting where teachers likely know most students by name. The school reports that every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic minority, a smaller multiracial group, and a smaller Black population. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so families whose children receive those services may want to ask the school directly about what supports are available.
The academic picture from the most recent state assessments is a mixed one, with a clear pattern. In math, proficiency rates across the elementary and middle grades are very low, with several grades reporting in the lowest range the state uses. Eighth grade math is somewhat stronger but still below what most Michigan schools aim for. English language arts tells a more varied story. The upper elementary and middle grades show modest proficiency, and eighth grade ELA stands out as a relative bright spot, with a solid share of students meeting the state bar. Science and social studies results in eighth grade are also comparatively stronger, suggesting that some students find their footing as they move into the upper grades. Across all subjects, though, the overall proficiency index places the school below the midpoint among districts in Bay County, and a parent weighing academic outcomes may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around early-grade math instruction.
The school does not serve eleventh or twelfth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report and no SAT or ACT data tied to this campus. Students who remain through tenth grade would need to transition elsewhere for the final two years of high school, which is a planning consideration for families thinking long-term.
Bay City itself is the county seat of Bay County, sitting along the Saginaw River just upriver from Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. Publicly reported sources describe a community with a deep industrial past rooted in the nineteenth-century lumber boom, later shifting to coal mining, commercial fishing, beet-sugar refining, and diversified manufacturing. Today the local economy leans on tourism, agriculture, and industry, with employers spanning healthcare, public sector work, and manufacturing. The city has a riverfront downtown with parks, a historic commercial district, Victorian-era mansions from the lumber era, cultural venues like the State Theatre and the Bay County Historical Museum, and a well-established community theater. Summer festivals along the river are a defining feature of civic life.
The community has been experiencing a steady population decline, and a publicly reported controversy over the privatization and tolling of two city-owned bridges has been a source of resident frustration. The housing market around the school is affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the statewide median and rents that reflect a lower-cost area. For a family already in or drawn to Bay City, this means housing access near the school is relatively attainable.
We looked for the school's strategic priorities or recent program changes and found little in available sources, so we left that out rather than guess. Data on staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, course offerings, and discipline was also not available, which leaves a gap in understanding the full school environment. What the evidence does show is a small, economically disadvantaged charter school in an affordable, historically industrial Michigan river town, with academic results that are currently weak in the early grades but show some improvement as students reach eighth grade.
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