The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Math. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Three Oaks Public School Academy
Three Oaks Public School Academy is a charter school in Muskegon serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It sits on Kingsley Street in a city that functions as the county seat of Muskegon County and the most populous community along Lake Michigan's eastern shore. Muskegon grew up as a lumber town, then turned to manufacturing after the forests were depleted, producing paper, automotive and turbine parts, tools, machinery, and chemicals. It also became a tourist destination, and that mix of industry and recreation still shapes the place. Downtown Muskegon serves as the county hub, with hotels, a convention center completed a few years ago, Trinity Health Arena, the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, and the Muskegon Farmer's Market drawing large summer crowds. The Muskegon Lakeshore Bike Trail connects the lakefront to regional trails, and weekly Parties in the Park at Hackley Park bring residents together on summer Fridays. Pere Marquette Beach, the largest free public beach on this stretch of Lake Michigan, and two state parks give the city strong outdoor anchors. Muskegon Community College operates in the city, and its Stevenson Center for Higher Education hosts programs from Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, and Grand Valley State University, which matters for families thinking about longer educational pathways.
Three Oaks itself is a small school. Its enrollment is modest for its grade band, and the student body is predominantly Black, with a white minority and smaller Hispanic and multiracial populations. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school among the highest-need populations in the area. Data on English learners and special-education enrollment was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here. The school's charter was renewed in 2021 and runs through 2029, which gives families some assurance of continued operation in the near term.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments, the most recent results show a school working from a low baseline. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through six were generally in the low-to-mid teens, with the sixth grade reaching a somewhat higher level. Math results were uneven: third and sixth grades showed modest proficiency, while fourth grade was quite low and fifth grade fell into the lowest reported range with no students reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade science showed modest proficiency, while fifth-grade social studies landed in the lowest reported range, again with no students reaching proficiency. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Muskegon County. These are the most current results available, and parents may want to look into how the school is responding to these patterns and what supports are in place for students performing below grade level.
Because Three Oaks does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band rather than any gap in performance. Chronic absenteeism data was not available for this school. Program offerings were not provided in the available data, so specific details about extracurriculars, dual-credit options, or specialized academic programs cannot be described here.
The housing market around the school is relatively affordable. Home values and rents in the school's zip code sit well below both state and national benchmarks, which may appeal to families looking for lower-cost living near Lake Michigan. The broader economic context includes a national unemployment rate that has been holding steady and mortgage rates that have fluctuated in a moderate range. Muskegon's downtown has seen recent investment, including the convention center and the EPA's completion of Muskegon Lake cleanup, which local sources expected to spur additional economic activity near the lakefront. Specific new housing developments were not detailed in the available sources.
Three Oaks fits a family seeking a small, community-rooted charter option for early elementary and middle-grade years in a city with affordable housing and strong outdoor amenities. The academic results are low, and a parent weighing this school would want to ask directly what instructional supports and improvement plans are in place. The charter's authorization through 2029 provides some stability, and the school's location in a county-seat city with cultural and recreational amenities gives families access to resources beyond the campus itself.
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