Oakside Prep Academy, Waterford MI

Original Research by School Decision on Oakside Prep Academy

Oakside Prep Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Waterford, Michigan, serving students from kindergarten through eleventh grade. Publicly reported sources indicate the school has been expanding its grade span toward a full K-12 pathway, which would allow families to keep children enrolled through high school graduation. The school sits on Summit Drive in Waterford, a charter township in Oakland County roughly thirty miles northwest of downtown Detroit.

The school serves a large student body for a single charter campus, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grade levels. The student population is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of students identifying as two or more races, white, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding community. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here.

On Michigan state assessments, Oakside's results paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight land in a moderate range, with the strongest showing in eighth grade and the lowest in sixth. Math results are weaker overall, with proficiency dipping notably in fifth grade and eighth grade, and reaching their highest points in third and seventh grades. Science and social studies proficiency, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, fall below the school's own ELA and math patterns, with fifth-grade social studies being the weakest result. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among districts in Oakland County, a set that includes many of the region's traditional public districts. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady. A parent weighing this school may want to ask the administration directly about its academic improvement plans and how it supports students performing below grade level.

No graduation rate is reported for Oakside Prep Academy. This is consistent with the grade span in the current data, which does not yet include a graduating twelfth-grade class. As the school completes its expansion through twelfth grade, this metric will become relevant in future years.

Waterford itself is a sprawling suburban township defined by its 34 named lakes, low-density residential subdivisions, and strip commercial corridors along major roads like Dixie Highway and Highland Road. The township lacks a traditional walkable downtown. Civic functions cluster at the Waterford Civic Center Complex, which houses the Township Hall, police station, and district court. The Waterford Township Public Library sits nearby on Civic Center Drive. Publicly reported sources note that the township historically relied on the Summit Place Mall and a General Motors facility as major commercial tax sources, and both have closed, creating economic headwinds. Major employers today are largely governmental and educational, including Oakland County government offices, Oakland Schools intermediate district headquarters, the Waterford School District, and Oakland Community College's Highland Lakes Campus. The Oakland County International Airport is also located in the township.

Housing in the school's zip code is relatively affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit below the Michigan state benchmark, and rents are modest by national standards. Home values have been appreciating at a pace roughly in line with the state as a whole. This combination of affordable housing and a charter school option drawing students from across the area may appeal to families seeking alternatives to the traditional public district, particularly those looking for a smaller, single-campus K-12 pathway. That said, the academic results suggest families should approach with clear questions about instruction, intervention, and how the school plans to lift proficiency as it grows into a full high school program.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 28%

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 28%

even with state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 13%

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

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 35%

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

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

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

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 32%

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

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

This schoolOakside Prep 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.