Grand Traverse Academy in Traverse City

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	8/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) data from Michigan Department of Education.
College Readiness	8/10	The College Readiness Rating uses this high school's graduation rates, college entrance exam participation and performance, or AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment participation to determine how well schools are preparing students for success in college and beyond. The College Readiness Rating was created using the following data from the 2021 Civil Rights Data Collection: percentage of students enrolled in IB, AP or Dual Enrollment classes in grades 9-12, using 2025 SAT percent college ready data from Michigan Department of Education, using 2025 4-year high school graduation rate data from Michigan Department of Education, using 2025 Average SAT score data from Michigan Department of Education, and using 2026 demographic data from Michigan Department of Education.
Student Growth	7/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Michigan Department of Education.

Posted: August 25, 2026

This school was great and Im glad I went here. Bullying is very rare at this school and the students are raised right. This is an especially good school for high schoolers. Many of the problems in public high schools such as vaping and bullying are not a problem here. Its a great school for all through K-12. It has a lot of school spirit and fun events for all ages.

Posted: August 25, 2026

Posted: November 24, 2025

Absolutely the best learning environment! Truly students and staff are safe, loved and learning.

Posted: November 24, 2025

My children have thrived in the smaller school setting in Academics and Athletics!

Posted: November 24, 2025

Posted: November 19, 2025

Wonderful experience for my kids and family.

Posted: November 19, 2025

Posted: September 17, 2025

GTA is a great place to send your athletic, white, straight, Christian child; if your kid isnt any of those things Id think twice.

As a recent alumni, I can say from a students perspective that there is a lot of bullying when it comes to more diverse students. Not a day went by without comments or looks being cast at students of color, queer students, or heavy set students.

The staff would probably like to think that none of that is true, but its just as true as the ELA teacher having a whole entire teaching block based off students having to state *out loud in class* where they identify politically rubs me the wrong way.

The children in the special education classes are extremely infantilized, which in my opinion hinders them from reaching their full potential.

Reprimanding students for what they post on their personal social media accounts, prying about gossip of other students, administrators targeting students seemingly because they just feel like it, and just blatant favoritism are all things you can expect from the staff at GTA.

Posted: September 17, 2025

Posted: July 30, 2025

This school leaves much to be desired academically due to the lack of experience and abilities of the elementary principal, secondary principal, and superintendent. All three "administrators" are woefully unprepared , do not know how to support teachers at all levels Kinder-12, and cover up inadequate teachers in order to make the school and themselves look good. Your child will not be supported emotionally and they will suffer academically. Do not be fooled by the in-genuine smiles from the superintendent or either of the 2 principals, they have no clue what they are doing. If your child is going into 6-12 grades, look elsewhere, the secondary principal is antagonistic, extremely unqualified, and does not have the necessary experience to support any teacher, nor secondary students. There are many parents and staff members who will readily identify this principal as having no business working in the education field. My family is pulling out our 4 children and other families are also taking their children to better schools as of the 2025/26 school year. If this school was once a good one, those days are long gone due to the current administration running it into the ground, chasing away good teachers and great students. Good luck parents and students. Go anywhere and steer clear of GTA.

Posted: July 30, 2025

Posted: June 27, 2025

I hate this school teachers are mean so are other students one kid was gonna kill a group of others this place sucks DON'T let your kid go here save yourself

Posted: June 27, 2025

I was bullied. some kid said he would kill people and stuff and only was suspended for like 2 days not safe teachers are the worst some are really nice but others are the meanest people you would ever meet

Posted: August 14, 2024

Bullying is very bad here and staff encourages it

Posted: August 14, 2024

Posted: May 23, 2023

There is an interesting environment at this school. I have heard with my own ears teachers and support staff gossiping openly about parents/families they don't like. They don't try to even hide it. I do believe the children are cared for but the unprofessionalism of the staff is alarming.

Posted: May 23, 2023

Posted: March 31, 2023

I have been a teacher at a few other schools and this one is by far the best place I have ever worked. The leadership is supportive, my co-workers are incredible, and the smaller class sizes really helps me get to know my students. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to work and to attend.

Posted: March 31, 2023

Posted: February 24, 2021

My children attended GTA for 3 years. The teacher turnover rates really concerned my spouse and I. It seemed like all of their favorite teachers were leaving mid year. The teachers that stayed, my kids complained about. So, we looked into the staff at GTA and were surprised to find that many of the teachers there are not certified teachers but long term substitutes. This is all information available on the Michigan Department of Education website, using the teacher certification look up tool. I would caution any parent to look closely into this district. Its certainly not what they present.

Posted: February 17, 2021

As parents of current and former GTA students, there is no better place than Grand Traverse Academy. My son and daughter, who are now grown up and starting careers of their own we're very well prepared at GTA. We are fortunate enough to have students in the upper elementary as well as high School and their education is second to none in the area. Unfortunately former disgruntled employees who cannot handle being held accountable must always sound off in order to shift blame and try to place it somewhere other than themselves. Good riddance to mediocre teachers. Bravo, GTA.

Posted: February 17, 2021

Posted: February 4, 2021

If you are an educator avoid at ALL costs!!! Teacher turnover rates are high and teachers are not treated well here. They preach about being family but couldnt care less about staff or the community. Mrs. Floering is a nightmare to work for and is a bully to staff members throughout the building. Students are not a priority and the focus is to look good and get enrollment numbers up. Terrible school district!

Posted: February 4, 2021

Posted: October 23, 2019

As a former student I give this school a 10. I feel that as a student I was well prepared for college despite coming from a minoritized background.

Posted: October 23, 2019

Teachers do an amazing job explaining things to students and providing extra help when needed. When parents have questions teachers respond quickly.

Posted: October 23, 2019

Posted: October 16, 2019

GTA values quality homework v. quantity meaningless and repetitive homework

Posted: October 16, 2019

These teachers care! They model professional behavior and lifelong values. They teach choice theory to help students understand how their choices impact themselves and others

Posted: October 16, 2019

Character education is one of the reasons we love this school. These students are different and it shows in their behavior at school and in the community.

Posted: October 16, 2019

You will not find more involved and caring leaders than a Jim Coneset, Michelle Floering, and Colin Smith. They are involved from carpool to classroom activities to extra curricular activities. They are always available for questions.

Posted: October 16, 2019

They focus on relationships to try to stop bullying before it starts. They have a no tolerance profanity policy and its enforced, probably the reason for some of the negative reviews. People are actually held accountable here.

Posted: October 16, 2019

GTA is a unique atmosphere where character and professionalism matter. Children are held accountable. Uniforms help to decrease the teasing and differences that often stratify kids in other schools. Your teachers are caring and positive! We love GTA!

Posted: October 4, 2018

In order for the school to save money they got rid of all of the good teachers at this school, because they were paid the most.

Posted: October 4, 2018

The management company doesn't seem like they know what they are doing. Jim Coneset & Mindy VanHouzen don't seem to care about the kids.

Posted: October 4, 2018

If you have to choose between GTA and another school. Please choose a different school! The management with this school is absolutely terrible, and Jim Coneset does not seem to know what he is doing with his new role. Plus, no bussing or hot lunch program.

Posted: October 4, 2018

There is not an open line of communication between teachers and parents, so you don't know about the assignments but expected to help.

Posted: July 5, 2018

This school used to be great, but after the new management company last year and now the new inexperienced superintendent I see GTA on a downward spiral. It is turning into a run of the mill public school where the students are looked at as numbers...its so sad.

Posted: December 11, 2017

e used to love this school, but poor management has taken this school down hill. They punish kids for being kids! The teachers do not communicate with the parents, and the interim superintendent doesn't stand up for the kids or parents. Save your self the trouble and find another school.

Posted: December 11, 2017

Posted: May 2, 2017

small class sizes are a plus, we love the elementary shared classrooms. Junior high is lacking in the academics... constant struggle with the school staff to keep my children challenged and learning new stuff. there is little consistency as far as curriculum.

Posted: April 29, 2017

Academics are good and there are some amazing teachers. Career Tech Center and dual enrollment programs are a huge plus. However there are rampant bullying issues largely ignored by staff. Stephanie Patzick is worse than useless as a counselor, never trust your child's future to this woman.

Posted: April 24, 2017

Open campus on two major roads. Not a fabulous idea. Concerns of school changes was meant with hurry and decide we have people waiting. That says alot.

Posted: April 24, 2017

Posted: September 4, 2014

I used to go to this school from kindergarten to 10th grade, and I enjoyed my time there up until highschool, where everything came crashing down. Well known/popular students, on festival days, were/are allowed to wear shorts that leave their behinds hanging out, while other students are sent to the office because of a dress or skirt a half inch less than the dress code. The school seems to only focus on sports, even taking funding out of the very small art program for it. The year I left, the best history teacher in school history joined the team, and I would definitely recommend him for people who like a quiet classroom and actual teacher focus.

Posted: August 27, 2014

i miss this school D: i wanna go back to michigan! D: D: D: D:

Posted: June 13, 2014

I love the school! Compared to other schools, I realize how healthy of an environment I am put in everyday. The school enforces character education, we write papers on how we are with the character traits and we always show them in school. There are no bullies either. You may get picked by someone, but that person will have automatic suspension. We are also not allowed to hug or touch (holding hands are acceptable) for more than 5 seconds. People may think we are a strict school but my dad has an answer for that: "They are raising up for the way a person should live in the real world and work environment." We also wear uniforms at are school, which I personally don't like, but I can live with it. I could name more than half of the high school students and about half of the junior high students. But, it isn't the most fun having a small school because there are not a lot of sports teams! I wanted there to be a soccer team so we tried joining other schools but it didn't work out. And my parents didn't want me to go to another school to pursue my soccer dream because they like the school so much. All in all though, the staff are close, students are family, and there life is good.

Posted: January 4, 2014

As an alumni, I attended Grand Traverse Academy from 2006 to 2009 in their High School area. It was an okish school but with many problems unfortunately. First one, they do not have their own busing, you have to come up with your own transportation, which means either driving your kids to school or setting up a BETA route. They also don't have a typical lunchroom and you must pack your own and try to get a microwave when lunch time comes. furthermore, there is a huge lack of interesting elective classes, all there is to choose from is art, music, and advanced classes. They could at least put more effort into electives! E.G. a class like personal finance that teaches real world skills. The only good thing about this school are some of the teachers who were excellent. Mr. Cook is one of the best teachers at GTA, I loved his wisdom on whatever we were talking about in class, I learned a lot from him! Overall, it's a decent school for it's elementary department from what I hear, but the middle & high school part of Grand Traverse Academy is far from excellent, and could use improvements in the departments of what I mentioned earlier

Posted: October 16, 2013

Although there are a lot of great teachers at the school, there is very little trust from the administration for the teachers. Heavy control issues are what steer many teachers away. Even writing notes home to parents need to be "checked" by an administrator. Very little trust in the staff which leads to high turnover. Very unfortunate.

Posted: September 24, 2013

I am amazed every time I step foot into GTA. The staff is friendly and helpful and the students are joyful and polite. My children in elementary and secondary have blossomed in this environment since they began GTA in kindergarten. It is an outstanding school.

Posted: September 22, 2013

I have had four students go through GTA from K- 8th, 9th, 9th, and 10th grades. When they left the academy for reasons I will address in a moment I discovered serious issues. My oldest and youngest children were classified as *gifted* by state testing yet never challenged by offering the "Gems" classes (many teachers kids are though) and my two middle children were passing but when they left they were GRADES behind at other schools and it was discovered they had serious learning disabilities. The biggest reasons that 3 of my children left there is the bullying. It is physical (the kids KNOW where the cameras are) it is emotional (in FRONT of teachers) and even when it's addresses with the principals it's never dealt with. It is so vicious that numerous High school students have left because of this.

Posted: July 29, 2013

The high teacher turnover at Grand Traverse Academy is alarming. Unfortunately, this speaks volumes and has given the school a poor name among other schools. As for technology, very little is utilized in the classrooms, besides an overhead projector and a few computers. It would be nice if the leadership team would support the teaching staff as much as they do the parents.

Posted: May 26, 2013

We moved our son to GTA at the beginning of the school year after spending several frustrating years with another local school in the district. We are amazed every single day at the genuine care and concern displayed by every single person in the school. For the first time ever, we feel that our son is in a school where the educators and staff members truly care about the children and quality of education; it is more than just a paycheck for them! The staff at GTA genuinely care about the individual success of each and every student and go to great lengths to address each child's needs. They understand that everyone is different and we all do not fit in to the same mold. We also love the fact that GTA has high standards and expectations in regard to character, choices and behavior.

Posted: May 14, 2013

The principal is not very strict with discipline and allows kids to bully other children. One student got up in my child's class on career day that all one of the particular student's only career choice would be a call girl. When sent to the office, she was only sent back to apologize. Are you kidding me? This same child has been known to make comments over FB and spread rumors about several of the female students at the school. Where is the leadership here???? They've got to do a better job with dealing with discipline. It's one thing to make A comment but if this student is continuously pestering other children then she should be suspended and her behavior should NOT be tolerated, PERIOD!!!

Posted: July 26, 2012

Academics and extra-curricular activities are important parts of a child's education. However, in order to be successful in society, you have to have strong character traits. Grand Traverse Academy has a very strong character education program. My daughters have improved in their work ethic, responsiblity, getting along with others and being respectful.

Posted: July 23, 2012

Both of my sons have had an excellent school experience at GTA, and are achieving above grade level in every subject. They are appropriately challenged, loved by their teachers, and the entire staff demonstrates exceptional customer service for parents. It is hard to believe that this type of educational institution is available in Traverse City, and is tuition-free!

Base	Distance
Coast Guard Traverse City	2.7 mi.
Camp Grayling	40.9 mi.

Grand Traverse Academy

Traverse City, MI 49686

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Grand Traverse Academy

Traverse City, MI 49686

School Ratings

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