River City Scholars Charter Academy

Summary:

River City Scholars Charter Academy is an elementary school serving 346 students in grades K-8 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city with a predominantly African American and Hispanic population. The school is part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, which is ranked 532 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

River City Scholars Charter Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom 15% of Michigan elementary schools, with a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's student performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state averages, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math ranging from 13.5% to 31.3%, compared to the state averages of 37.5% to 44%. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 29.2% to 53.1% over the past five school years, which is much higher than the state average. Additionally, the school serves a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 93.06% to 95.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When compared to nearby schools, such as the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, which consistently outperforms River City Scholars Charter Academy on standardized tests, the school's challenges become even more apparent. The racial makeup of River City Scholars Charter Academy is also significantly different from nearby schools, suggesting that the school may be serving a more disadvantaged community, which could contribute to the observed academic challenges. To improve the school's performance, the district and school leadership should focus on addressing the root causes of the school's chronic absenteeism, implementing targeted interventions to improve student learning, and exploring best practices from higher-performing schools in the area.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 944 Evergreen St SE
       Grand Rapids, MI  49507-2051


(616) 248-3390

District: River City Scholars Charter Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
1249th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,140 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  12.3 Help
Number of students:  346

Racial breakdown:

African American:
73.7%
Hispanic:
10.4%
Two or more races:
9.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  93.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details River City Scholars Charter Academy ranks worse than 84.1% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.97. (See more...)
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Compare Details River City Scholars Charter Academy ranks worse than 78.8% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.75. (See more...)
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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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (73.7%), Hispanic (10.4%), two or more races (9.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 93.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at River City Scholars Charter Academy is 12.3. (See more...)
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Compare River City Scholars Charter Academy employs 28 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at River City Scholars Charter Academy is $18,140.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

River City Scholars Charter Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks River City Scholars Charter Academy 1249th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See River City Scholars Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks River City Scholars Charter Academy 707th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See River City Scholars Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:


River City Scholars Charter Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks River City Scholars Charter Academy 532nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for River City Scholars Charter Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 14.89 1371st 1580 13.2%
2016 10.02 1401st 1548 9.5%
2017 11.86 1296th 1466 11.6%
2018 25.85 1132nd 1448 21.8%
2019 11.54 1262nd 1408 10.4%
2021 5.16 1134th 1153 1.6%
2022 6.91 1275th 1344 5.1%
2023 9.11 1343rd 1470 8.6%
2024 14.97 1249th 1486 15.9%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.95 974th 1397 30.3%
2019 15.68 1015th 1134 10.5%
2021 11.49 718th 749 4.1%
2022 10.78 1023rd 1099 6.9%
2023 10.78 1260th 1350 6.7%
2024 21.88 1120th 1381 18.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.97 1145th 1443 20.7%
2019 12.63 1071st 1171 8.5%
2023 12.34 1187th 1321 10.1%
2024 25.11 1026th 1342 23.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.71 1085th 1446 25.0%
2019 11.35 1103rd 1196 7.8%
2024 15.20 1167th 1347 13.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.13 140th 475 70.5%
2019 35.61 131st 212 38.2%
2021 21.60 44th 51 13.7%
2023 28.28 232nd 321 27.7%
2024 47.43 148th 348 57.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

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

Rank History for River City Scholars Charter Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 10.41 828th 919 9.9%
2016 11.18 789th 894 11.7%
2017 7.63 777th 821 5.4%
2018 17.88 719th 838 14.2%
2019 9.26 737th 792 6.9%
2021 4.86 670th 675 0.7%
2023 7.53 843rd 883 4.5%
2024 19.75 707th 897 21.2%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.30 624th 815 23.4%
2019 12.53 619th 672 7.9%
2021 7.97 513th 523 1.9%
2023 10.34 773rd 825 6.3%
2024 26.10 631st 836 24.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.27 673rd 794 15.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.71 644th 797 19.2%
2023 8.30 737th 776 5.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at River City Scholars Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.25 204th 366 44.3%
2021 19.12 74th 77 3.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American 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.

River City Scholars Charter Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for River City Scholars Charter Academy

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2013 23 209 0 44 2 0 12 0 290
2014 40 369 0 72 2 0 18 0 501
2015 38 418 1 69 3 0 24 0 553
2016 27 469 1 70 4 0 30 0 601
2017 33 397 2 49 2 0 15 0 498
2018 24 342 2 46 2 0 31 0 447
2019 18 364 3 52 1 0 39 0 477
2020 21 349 1 51 0 1 35 0 458
2021 21 336 1 46 1 0 37 0 442
2022 14 298 0 30 1 0 37 0 380
2023 21 255 0 36 1 0 33 0 346

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 River City Scholars Charter Academy

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 290 28.0 10.3 91.4
2014 501 31.3 16.0 93.4
2015 553 36.0 15.3 93.7
2016 601 36.0 16.6 93.5
2017 498 38.0 13.1 88.8
2018 447 35.0 12.7 93.7
2019 477 30.0 15.8 92.9
2020 458 28.0 16.3 89.7
2021 442 29.0 15.2 95.7
2022 380 28.0 13.5 95.3
2023 346 28.0 12.3 93.1

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 River City Scholars Charter Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 290 28.0 10.3 91.4
2014 501 31.3 16.0 93.4
2015 553 36.0 15.3 93.7
2016 601 36.0 16.6 93.5
2017 498 38.0 13.1 88.8
2018 447 35.0 12.7 93.7
2019 477 30.0 15.8 92.9
2020 458 28.0 16.3 89.7
2021 442 29.0 15.2 95.7
2022 380 28.0 13.5 95.3
2023 346 28.0 12.3 93.1

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 River City Scholars Charter Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,487 (12.1%) $10,772 (87.9%) $12,259
2020 $1,443 (11.2%) $11,479 (88.8%) $12,922
2021 $2,441 (18.2%) $10,984 (81.8%) $13,425
2022 $3,060 (18.1%) $13,826 (81.9%) $16,886
2023 $2,733 (15.1%) $15,407 (84.9%) $18,140

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on River City Scholars Charter 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1262nd of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 1343rd of 1470 Elementary schools
 1.7%
Ranks 737th of 792 Middle schoolsRanks 843rd of 883 Middle schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)23.723.7
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)23.723.7
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.421.1
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Math (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.421.1
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)24.59.1
 15.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)24.59.1
 15.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (River City Scholars Charter Academy)1712.1
 4.9%
   4th Grade Math (River City Scholars Charter Academy)1712.1
 4.9%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)29.67
 22.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)29.67
 22.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.98.3
 10.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.98.3
 10.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)41.737.5
 4.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.422
 3.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (River City Scholars Charter Academy)18.422
 3.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)42.737.7
 5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students477346
 27.5%
African American364255
 29.9%
American Indian11
Asian30
 100%
Hispanic5236
 30.8%
Pacific Islander00
White1821
 16.7%
Two or More Races3933
 15.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients92.9%93.1%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about River City Scholars Charter Academy

River City Scholars Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Michigan elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 346 students attended River City Scholars Charter Academy.

Students at River City Scholars Charter Academy are 74% African American, 10% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 6% White.


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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.





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