Countryside Academy Elementary

Located at 4722 MEADOWBROOK RD, in BENTON HARBOR, Michigan, Countryside Academy Elementary is a mid-tier elementary school that educates 384 students (grades K through 5), overseen by Countryside Academy.

Countryside Academy comprises 2 schools with combined enrollment of 770 students; Countryside Academy Elementary is among them.

On demographics, Countryside Academy Elementary records that the largest single group is Black, at 55% of enrollment. Other groups include 33% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% multiracial. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 13%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Countryside Academy Elementary has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.3:1. The state averages about 15.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 83% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is higher than Berrien County's rate of about 55%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Countryside Academy Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 29.5%; this one delivers 33.0%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Berrien County) records that median household income runs about $65,425, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Berrien County's 75 public schools (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students), Countryside Academy Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a low-density site. Countryside Academy Elementary operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 6%: 361 students in 2018 compared to 384 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 20% to 7% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 22.7:1 in 2018 to 16.3:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.