Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Summary:

Lighthouse Academy South Campus is an alternative public charter school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving 146 students in grades K-12. The school has seen a shift in its racial demographics, with a decrease in white students and an increase in African American and Hispanic students over the past few years.

Lighthouse Academy South Campus faces significant challenges, with low graduation rates ranging from 12.5% to 31.8% over the past five years, much lower than the state average. The school also has alarmingly high dropout rates, ranging from 37.5% to 50%, and extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.3% to 73.2%, far exceeding the state average. Academically, the school's performance on state assessments is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Despite serving a high-need population, with 93.86% to 95.89% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school's outcomes are concerning.

Comparisons to other nearby schools provide some interesting insights. Bethany Based School, an alternative public school in a different district, has a higher four-year graduation rate (42.8%) and lower dropout rate (28.5%) than Lighthouse Academy South Campus, despite serving a student population with a higher percentage of white students. In contrast, Lincoln School and Lincoln Developmental Center, alternative public schools in the Kent Independent School District, have even lower graduation rates (0.0%) and higher chronic absenteeism rates than Lighthouse Academy South Campus. Meanwhile, Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, a public alternative school in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, outperforms Lighthouse Academy South Campus and the district as a whole in academic achievement.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Alternative K-12

3300 36th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512-2810

(616) 949-2287

District: Lighthouse Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
720^th of 743 Michigan Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $29,016

Student/teacher ratio: 10.9

Number of students: 146

Racial breakdown:

African American:

37.0%

White:

30.1%

Hispanic:

24.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Lighthouse Academy South Campus to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

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

Compare Details In 2015 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.84. (See more...)

Compare Details Lighthouse Academy South Campus ranks worse than 96.9% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.82. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus 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 Lighthouse Academy South Campus has the largest alternative school student body size in the Lighthouse Academy School District. Student population at Lighthouse Academy South Campus is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (37%), White (30.1%), Hispanic (24.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lighthouse Academy South Campus is 10.9. 2 alternative schools in the Lighthouse Academy School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lighthouse Academy South Campus employs 13.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lighthouse Academy South Campus is $29,016, which is the highest among 4 alternative schools in the Lighthouse Academy School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lighthouse Academy South Campus was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Lighthouse Academy South Campus 720^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Lighthouse Academy South Campus in the ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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Rank History for all middle school students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2011	0.35	856^th	858	0.2%
2012	8.17	858^th	900	4.7%
2013	6.11	894^th	919	2.7%
2014	6.54	884^th	921	4.0%
2015	6.84	889^th	919	3.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.83	814^th	815	0.1%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.76	792^nd	797	0.6%

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

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

Rank History for Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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Rank History for all high school students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2011	3.58	767^th	784	2.2%
2012	17.61	615^th	773	20.4%
2013	10.79	708^th	805	12.0%
2014	7.82	740^th	799	7.4%
2018	7.61	735^th	824	10.8%
2024	4.82	720^th	743	3.1%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.96	674^th	755	10.7%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.03	675^th	707	4.5%

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

Rank History for high school White students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	3.82	664^th	708	6.2%

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

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	26	46	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	2	86
2010	60	90	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	166
2011	64	94	3	21	0	2	3	0	187
2012	67	119	1	14	4	0	5	0	210
2013	63	60	0	16	2	0	7	0	148
2014	71	63	1	19	0	0	4	0	158
2015	71	51	2	18	2	0	3	0	147
2016	63	52	1	21	1	0	5	0	143
2017	63	56	0	14	0	0	10	0	143
2018	60	50	0	9	2	0	6	0	127
2019	67	30	0	9	0	0	3	0	109
2020	63	51	0	9	1	0	1	0	125
2021	50	47	0	12	0	1	4	0	114
2022	30	28	0	11	0	1	4	0	74
2023	44	54	4	36	0	2	6	0	146

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 Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	86	8.9	9.7	90.5
2010	166	21.0	7.9	95.2
2011	187	18.1	10.2	87.7
2012	210	19.1	10.9	89.5
2013	148	16.6	8.8	84.5
2014	158	17.5	9.0	81
2015	147	13.0	11.3	81.6
2016	143	12.0	11.9	86
2017	143	12.4	11.4	92.3
2018	127	13.8	9.2	91.3
2019	109	11.4	9.5	89.9
2020	125	10.4	12.0	97.6
2021	114	8.6	13.2	93.9
2022	74	8.9	8.2	95.9
2023	146	13.2	10.9	95.9

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 Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	86	8.9	9.7	90.5
2010	166	21.0	7.9	95.2
2011	187	18.1	10.2	87.7
2012	210	19.1	10.9	89.5
2013	148	16.6	8.8	84.5
2014	158	17.5	9.0	81
2015	147	13.0	11.3	81.6
2016	143	12.0	11.9	86
2017	143	12.4	11.4	92.3
2018	127	13.8	9.2	91.3
2019	109	11.4	9.5	89.9
2020	125	10.4	12.0	97.6
2021	114	8.6	13.2	93.9
2022	74	8.9	8.2	95.9
2023	146	13.2	10.9	95.9

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 Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$4,758 (19.8%)	$19,329 (80.2%)	$24,088
2020	$2,879 (14.9%)	$16,480 (85.1%)	$19,359
2021	$5,654 (25.7%)	$16,360 (74.3%)	$22,014
2022	$12,606 (35.5%)	$22,924 (64.5%)	$35,530
2023	$8,091 (27.9%)	$20,924 (72.1%)	$29,016

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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	109	146	33.9%
African American	30	54	80%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	4
Hispanic	9	36	300%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	67	44	34.3%
Two or More Races	3	6	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.9%	95.9%	6%

Schools Near Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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)	SAT Mathematics (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	SAT Mathematics 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 5th 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
Lighthouse Academy South Campus	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3300 36th St SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	Lighthouse Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 949-2287	146	13	10.9	95.9%	44 (30.1%)	54 (37.0%)	36 (24.7%)	4 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	6 (4.1%)								(n/a)	14.8		12.9																	10.0	$29,016	$8,091	$20,925
PrepNet Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3850 Broadmoor Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	PrepNet Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(616) 222-1700	1,220	83	14.6	84.8%	235 (19.3%)	647 (53.0%)	98 (8.0%)	22 (1.8%)	9 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	207 (17.0%)								(n/a)	40.2	10.3	45.8	10.4	13.8	18.9	25.4	33.8	30.8	10.7	5.5	5.1	23.5	20.6	22.8	21.3	35.1		19.5	45.9	$11,544	$938	$10,605
Excel Charter Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4201 Breton Rd SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	Excel Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 281-9339	784	38	20.5	58.7%	291 (37.1%)	234 (29.8%)	119 (15.2%)	50 (6.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (11.4%)								(n/a)	74.4	57.3			54.2	63.9	57.8	59.0	68.8	53.0	61.4	50.0	45.2	50.6	47.6	53.8		30.5	43.8		$11,370	$1,153	$10,217
Shared Time	Public, Alternative	K-12	1331 Franklin St SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 819-3200	0	9	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hope Academy of West Michigan	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	240 Brown St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Hope Academy of West Michigan	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 301-8458	359	28	12.7	98.3%	3 (0.8%)	46 (12.8%)	309 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)	23.8				20.0	55.0	19.1		18.2	28.6	40.0				18.2				13.0	19.1	$13,254	$2,284	$10,970
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)
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)
Grand Rapids Montessori Academy	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	159 College Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2405	320	16	19.6	52.8%	213 (66.6%)	37 (11.6%)	39 (12.2%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.1%)								(n/a)					53.5	57.8	40.0	40.7		30.2	26.7		14.8		36.7			16.7			$16,604	$4,411	$12,193
Home Education Site	Public, Alternative	1-12	2405 Leonard St NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 819-2621	1	0	.0		0 (0.0%)	1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$115,837	$2,426	$113,412
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1501 Cedar St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Lighthouse Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(616) 304-8537	80	6	13.3	96.3%	10 (12.5%)	51 (63.8%)	12 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.8%)								(n/a)																					$8,689	$3,243	$5,447

Frequently Asked Questions about Lighthouse Academy South Campus

How many students attend Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

In the 2022-23 school year, 146 students attended Lighthouse Academy South Campus.

What district is Lighthouse Academy South Campus in?

Lighthouse Academy

Is Lighthouse Academy South Campus a good school?

Lighthouse Academy South Campus ranks in the bottom 3.1% of Michigan alternative schools.

What is the racial makeup of Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

Students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus are 37% African American, 30% White, 25% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.