The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Red Oak Academy
Red Oak Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Warren, Michigan, serving grades K through 8. It opened in 2023 as a new independent charter district authorized by Ferris State University and managed by Global Educational Excellence, a school management organization. The charter contract runs through the summer of 2028. Publicly reported information describes a program built around character education, STEM enrichment, and Arabic as a world language, aimed at families in the Warren and Clinton Township area.
Because the school is so new, most of its state assessment data from the most recent school year is suppressed. Across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, grades three through five and grades seven and eight show no tested students, which reflects the school still ramping up enrollment rather than a weak result. The only grade with reported proficiency is sixth grade, where a small number of students were tested. In math, a majority of those sixth graders reached proficiency, and in ELA, roughly half did. Those are the only available data points, drawn from a single grade with a small tested group, so they offer a limited early signal rather than a full picture of school performance. The comparison fact-set, which positions Red Oak Academy relative to districts in Macomb County, places its proficiency index in the top quartile, but that index rests on those same narrow sixth-grade results. A parent may want to ask the school directly how it plans to report and share results as more grades fill in. No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not available.
Enrollment figures, demographic breakdowns, and free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts were not reported in the data we received. Title I status and civil-rights data were also absent. This is common for a newly opened charter still building its student base, but it means families cannot yet evaluate the peer environment or student support profile from public data. The school does not have magnet status.
Warren, where the school is located, is a large inner-ring suburb of Detroit and the largest city in Macomb County. It is an auto-oriented community organized around wide arterial roads running north-south and east-west, with no traditional walkable downtown. The city's economy is anchored by automotive and defense employers, including the General Motors Technical Center, the U.S. Army Detroit Arsenal, and Stellantis facilities. Residential neighborhoods are mostly mid-century single-family subdivisions. Warren experienced rapid growth through the postwar era and has seen gradual population decline since, with an aging housing stock and no major new housing boom. Public transit is limited, with bus service oriented toward commuters rather than comprehensive local coverage.
Housing in the school's zip code is quite affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the statewide median and far below the national median, and rents are similarly modest. Year-over-year, both home values and rents have seen modest increases, in line with broader inflation trends. For families considering the area, this means housing costs are relatively low, though the tradeoff is an auto-dependent setting without much walkable street life or a central commercial district.
Red Oak Academy is a very young school, and the available data reflects that. Families considering it are looking at a new charter option with a stated focus on character education, STEM, and Arabic language instruction, operating in an affordable but car-dependent suburb. The academic signal from sixth grade is promising but narrow, and a fuller picture will emerge as the school enrolls more students across more grade levels. Parents would benefit from contacting the school directly for details on enrollment, student demographics, and how it plans to measure and share outcomes going forward.
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