Is Flat River Academy a good school?

Flat River Academy ranks 772 nd of 1486 Michigan alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Flat River Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 129 students attended Flat River Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Flat River Academy?

Students at Flat River Academy are 84% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

Flat River Academy

Summary:

Flat River Academy is an alternative public magnet charter school located in Greenville, Michigan, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 129 students. The school has a diverse racial makeup, with 84.5% White, 6.98% Hispanic, and 8.53% two or more races in the 2022-2023 school year.

Flat River Academy faces several significant challenges, including declining graduation rates, rising dropout rates, high chronic absenteeism, and lower academic performance compared to state averages and nearby schools like Lincoln School, Lincoln Developmental Center, and Creative Technologies Academy. The school's four-year graduation rate has dropped from 80.7% in 2016-2017 to 33.3% in 2019-2020, while its dropout rate has increased from 11.5% to 66.6% during the same period. Additionally, Flat River Academy has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.6% to 53.2% over the past five school years, which is significantly higher than the state average and the nearby schools.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Flat River Academy, ranging from 69.7% to 75.97% over the past three school years, suggests that the school serves a population with significant economic challenges. This may contribute to the school's lower academic performance, as measured by M-Step and PSAT test scores, which are generally below the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas. Flat River Academy's spending per student has increased from $10,084 in 2020-2021 to $12,078 in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby schools in the Kent Independent School District (Isd), Creative Technologies Academy, Ionia Independent School District (Isd), and Montcalm Area Independent School District (Isd).

Detail:

Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative PK, KG-12

9481 Jordan Rd
Greenville, MI 48838-9437

(616) 754-9360

District: Flat River Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
772^nd of 1,486 Michigan Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,078

Student/teacher ratio: 10.6

Number of students: 129

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.5%

Two or more races:

8.5%

Hispanic:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Flat River Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Flat River Academy ranks worse than 52% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.58. (See more...)

Compare Details Flat River Academy ranks better than 68.9% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.76. (See more...)

Compare Details Flat River Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2016 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.49. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Flat River Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (84.5%), two or more races (8.5%), Hispanic (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Flat River Academy is 10.6. (See more...)

Compare Flat River Academy employs 12.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Flat River Academy is $12,078.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Flat River Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Flat River Academy 772^nd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Flat River Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Flat River Academy 279^th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Flat River Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Flat River Academy.

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Rank History for Flat River Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2021	32.75	781^st	1153	32.3%
2022	48.59	637^th	1344	52.6%
2023	53.62	635^th	1470	56.8%
2024	44.58	772^nd	1486	48.0%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	69.86	283^rd	1350	79.0%
2024	54.15	561^st	1381	59.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	37.84	813^th	1347	39.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.98	644^th	1198	46.2%
2024	41.85	708^th	1204	41.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Flat River Academy

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	45.69	570^th	806	29.3%
2007	29.90	684^th	823	16.9%
2008	55.24	504^th	839	39.9%
2009	44.06	611^th	847	27.9%
2010	33.44	695^th	851	18.3%
2011	25.11	726^th	858	15.4%
2012	18.57	777^th	900	13.7%
2013	14.38	809^th	919	12.0%
2014	14.39	797^th	921	13.5%
2015	8.09	864^th	919	6.0%
2017	27.69	590^th	821	28.1%
2018	28.90	637^th	838	24.0%
2023	52.77	354^th	883	59.9%
2024	60.76	279^th	897	68.9%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	45.57	459^th	815	43.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Flat River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	14.05	617^th	678	9.0%
2023	30.92	490^th	688	28.8%
2024	43.39	368^th	701	47.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Flat River Academy

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	86.34	69^th	705	90.2%
2007	58.61	392^nd	767	48.9%
2009	40.35	520^th	754	31.0%
2010	42.52	519^th	765	32.2%
2011	29.95	574^th	784	26.8%
2012	30.36	553^rd	773	28.5%
2013	22.67	590^th	805	26.7%
2014	38.85	511^th	799	36.0%
2015	17.22	682^nd	832	18.0%
2016	15.49	662^nd	852	22.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.3)

33%

67%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Wednesday, August 14, 2019

This is low-budget alternative educational school. The administration turns a blind eye to discipline problems and every year comes up with some new gimmick for curriculum that they never follow through on. They hire unqualified teachers as "long term subs" yet, they are the teacher for the entire school year. Get used to hearing "next year" from this school because they follow through on nothing & have no clue as to what a charter school should be. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, January 10, 2019

Flat River Academy is a good school if you want to deal with teachers picking on students and favoritism. The have new teachers every year so far because they either quit or get fired. Although they have a great ELA and Art teacher that is not worth the amount of stuff you child will go through there. They have had 3 principles in almost 2 years, one of witch lasted for a week. The best perk I find here is Good friends and it’s an over all small school Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, July 19, 2014

this grattan academy middle and high school is best school and My kids love it . they help them alot . :) Close Quote

Enrollment information for Flat River Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2004	36	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	37
2005	108	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	112
2006	94	0	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	104
2007	105	1	10	1	2	n/a	n/a	2	121
2008	103	1	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	1	112
2009	117	1	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	123
2010	100	3	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	114
2011	157	3	2	15	0	0	0	0	177
2012	185	5	0	7	0	0	3	0	200
2013	152	6	0	13	0	0	1	0	172
2014	140	5	3	9	0	0	2	0	159
2015	126	4	6	10	0	0	2	0	148
2016	116	6	6	4	1	0	0	0	133
2017	82	1	2	5	2	1	1	0	94
2018	51	2	0	3	1	0	1	0	58
2019	48	3	0	8	1	0	2	0	62
2020	92	8	0	4	1	0	2	0	107
2021	99	7	0	10	1	0	6	0	123
2022	114	1	0	8	0	0	9	0	132
2023	109	0	0	9	0	0	11	0	129

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Flat River Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	37	6.3	5.9	n/a
2005	112	3.0	37.3	n/a
2006	104	3.0	34.7	0
2007	121	1.0	121.0	0
2008	112	7.4	15.1	7.2
2009	123	6.0	20.5	25.2
2010	114	n/a	n/a	22.8
2011	177	7.0	25.2	24.9
2012	200	11.5	17.3	39.5
2013	172	10.5	16.3	44.2
2014	159	8.4	18.8	53.5
2015	148	8.0	18.5	45.9
2016	133	7.0	19.0	49.6
2017	94	4.5	20.8	51.1
2018	58	4.4	13.1	72.4
2019	62	5.8	10.6	80.6
2020	107	8.0	13.3	78.5
2021	123	7.4	16.6	69.9
2022	132	11.5	11.4	69.7
2023	129	12.1	10.6	76

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Flat River Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	37	6.3	5.9	n/a
2005	112	3.0	37.3	n/a
2006	104	3.0	34.7	0
2007	121	1.0	121.0	0
2008	112	7.4	15.1	7.2
2009	123	6.0	20.5	25.2
2010	114	n/a	n/a	22.8
2011	177	7.0	25.2	24.9
2012	200	11.5	17.3	39.5
2013	172	10.5	16.3	44.2
2014	159	8.4	18.8	53.5
2015	148	8.0	18.5	45.9
2016	133	7.0	19.0	49.6
2017	94	4.5	20.8	51.1
2018	58	4.4	13.1	72.4
2019	62	5.8	10.6	80.6
2020	107	8.0	13.3	78.5
2021	123	7.4	16.6	69.9
2022	132	11.5	11.4	69.7
2023	129	12.1	10.6	76

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Flat River Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$975 (9.4%)	$9,430 (90.6%)	$10,405
2020	$1,670 (15.3%)	$9,221 (84.7%)	$10,891
2021	$2,481 (24.6%)	$7,603 (75.4%)	$10,084
2022	$3,233 (27.5%)	$8,540 (72.5%)	$11,773
2023	$3,277 (27.1%)	$8,801 (72.9%)	$12,078

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Flat River Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	62	129	108.1%
African American	3	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	9	12.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	48	109	127.1%
Two or More Races	2	11	450%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.6%	76%	4.7%

Schools Near Flat River Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)					M-Step Math (2024)				M-Step Science (2024)			M-Step Social Studies (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Flat River Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	9481 Jordan Rd	Greenville	48838	Montcalm County	Flat River Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 754-9360	129	12	10.6	76.0%	109 (84.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (8.5%)								(n/a)	45.5	45.5		36.8	26.3	21.1	46.7	23.1	52.6	31.6	40.0	23.1		63.6			45.5		$12,078	$3,277	$8,801
Seiter Education Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1401 E Van Deinse St	Greenville	48838	Montcalm County	Montcalm Area Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 225-4826	63	13	4.8	100.0%	55 (87.3%)	3 (4.8%)	5 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
ISDLocal Center Programs	Public, Alternative	K-12	1401 E Van Deinse St	Greenville	48838	Montcalm County	Montcalm Area Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 225-4810	79	26	3.0	96.2%	75 (94.9%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)								(n/a)
Creative Technologies Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	350 Pine St	Cedar Springs	49319	Kent County	Creative Technologies Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 696-4905	323	22	14.3	48.3%	287 (88.9%)	4 (1.2%)	17 (5.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)								(n/a)	57.1	23.8	59.1		44.0	16.7	29.6	52.2		16.0	29.6	34.8	29.2	33.3	54.5	16.7	23.8	54.5	$12,409	$1,069	$11,340
Freedom Acres School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2191 Harwood Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 527-2921	121	11	10.8	41.3%	107 (88.4%)	5 (4.1%)	7 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)								(n/a)
Lincoln Developmental Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	862 Crahen Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4800	80	12	6.6	31.3%	49 (61.3%)	11 (13.8%)	11 (13.8%)	4 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.3%)								(n/a)
Lincoln School	Public, Alternative	K-12	860 Crahen Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4700	106	26	4.1	52.8%	58 (54.7%)	21 (19.8%)	10 (9.4%)	9 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.5%)								(n/a)

Flat River Academy

Flat River Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Flat River Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for elementary school White students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for Flat River Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for middle school White students at Flat River Academy

Rank History for Flat River Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Flat River Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Flat River Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Flat River Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Flat River Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Flat River Academy

Student Body

Schools Near Flat River Academy