Post Oak School, Lansing MI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Post Oak School

Post Oak School sits on Lansing's east side, serving students from preschool through eighth grade as part of the Lansing Public School District. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that makes it a mid-sized building for its grade band. The student body reflects the broader composition of the city: a plurality of white students, with substantial Hispanic and Black populations, a smaller Asian contingent, and a meaningful share of students identified as two or more races. A clear majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.

On state assessments, Post Oak's results paint a mixed but encouraging picture. Third graders stand out, with strong proficiency in both math and English language arts. Fifth grade is another bright spot, with ELA proficiency notably high and solid results in math and science. Eighth graders performed well on the PSAT-based ELA measure and showed strength in social studies. The weaker areas are concentrated in the middle elementary and early middle grades for math, where fourth, sixth, and seventh grade proficiency fell to the lower end of the range. Fourth grade math is the softest spot. Social studies proficiency in fifth grade was also low. Taken across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint relative to districts in Ingham County, which is a reasonably strong standing for a school serving a high-needs population in an urban district.

The school does not have a graduation rate because it does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course-access data were not available, so those dimensions of school climate cannot be assessed here. A parent wanting a fuller picture of day-to-day environment would want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns, discipline approaches, and support staffing.

Lansing itself is Michigan's state capital, a mid-sized city whose economy runs on state government, insurance, healthcare, and education. The Grand River flows through downtown, and the Lansing River Trail offers a paved corridor for biking and walking. Michigan State University sits in neighboring East Lansing, and Lansing Community College operates within the city. Major employers include the State of Michigan, Auto-Owners Insurance, Jackson National Life, Sparrow Health System, and General Motors. The housing market in the school's zip code is quite affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks, with typical home values well below the statewide level and rents that compare favorably to ownership costs at current mortgage rates. For a family buying, the price-to-income ratio sits in a manageable range.

The Lansing Public School District is in a period of transition. Voters approved a bond in late 2022 that funds facility improvements, security upgrades, technology, a rebuilt Willow Elementary, and a new early childhood center, all structured without raising the current tax rate. The early childhood center broke ground in summer 2024 and is expected to open in fall 2025. At the same time, the district is working through a budget deficit tied to declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-relief funding. Publicly reported discussions about potential school consolidation have begun, though no specific buildings have been named. This financial pressure is worth watching, as it could eventually affect programming or building assignments across the district.

For a family considering Post Oak, the school offers a diverse peer environment and academic results that are uneven across grades but genuinely strong in several spots, particularly in the early and upper grades in literacy. The math results in the middle grades are the area a parent may want to look into further with the school. The surrounding neighborhood is affordable and connected to a city with deep civic infrastructure and steady employment anchors. The district's fiscal situation is a real consideration, but the investment flowing into facilities suggests ongoing commitment to the buildings that remain.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 21% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 15% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 11% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 8% · ▲ 21 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 9% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 7% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 21% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 19% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 20% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 14% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 18% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 40% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 17% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 16% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 10% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 17% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolLansing Public School District, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income63%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income68%Higher-income67%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income79%50 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income60%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income61%Higher-income75%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income64%49 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income47%28 pp gap