Is Kent Hills Elementary a good school?

Kent Hills Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Kent Hills Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 189 students attended Kent Hills Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Kent Hills Elementary?

Students at Kent Hills Elementary are 54% African American, 23% Hispanic, 13% White, 10% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Kent Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kent Hills Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Blandford School Middle : Center for Economicology Middle : John Ball Park Zoo School Middle : Riverside Middle School High : City MiddleHigh High : Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy High : Innovation Central High High : Union High School

Kent Hills Elementary

Summary:

Kent Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving 189 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant challenges, including a high-needs student population, low academic performance, and extremely high chronic absenteeism rates.

Kent Hills Elementary has a notably higher percentage of African American (53.97%) and Hispanic (22.75%) students compared to nearby schools and the state average. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Michigan elementary schools, with academic performance on state assessments significantly below district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Chronic absenteeism rates at Kent Hills Elementary are also extremely high, ranging from 37.9% to 65.8% over the past five years, much higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, around 90% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

While Kent Hills Elementary struggles academically, some nearby schools within the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, such as Congress Elementary and North Park Montessori Academy, perform significantly better on state assessments and have higher statewide rankings. The high per-student spending at Kent Hills Elementary ($18,026 in 2022-2023) suggests a commitment to supporting the students, but the academic outcomes remain poor, indicating that a more comprehensive approach may be needed to address the complex challenges facing the school and its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1445 Emerald Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505-5228

(616) 819-2727

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1407^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,026

Students who attend Kent Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blandford School
	Center for Economicology
	John Ball Park Zoo School
	Riverside Middle School
High:	City MiddleHigh
	Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
	Innovation Central High
	Union High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.1

Number of students: 189

Racial breakdown:

African American:

54.0%

Hispanic:

22.8%

White:

13.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Kent Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kent Hills Elementary ranks worse than 94.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 16^th among 20 ranked elementary schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.31. (See more...)

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 Student population at Kent Hills Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (54%), Hispanic (22.8%), White (13.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kent Hills Elementary is 17.1. 15 elementary schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Kent Hills Elementary employs 11 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kent Hills Elementary is $18,026, which is the 8^th highest among 20 elementary schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kent Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Kent Hills Elementary 1407^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Kent Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Grand Rapids Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand Rapids Public Schools 471^st of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Kent Hills Elementary.

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Your rating for Kent Hills Elementary?

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Rank History for Kent Hills Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	35.54	1243^rd	1545	19.5%
2007	14.25	1460^th	1565	6.7%
2008	12.06	1480^th	1577	6.2%
2009	13.02	1483^rd	1589	6.7%
2010	13.17	1464^th	1552	5.7%
2011	9.19	1479^th	1552	4.7%
2012	12.52	1447^th	1566	7.6%
2013	12.64	1414^th	1563	9.5%
2014	13.32	1370^th	1533	10.6%
2015	13.66	1389^th	1580	12.1%
2016	12.57	1355^th	1548	12.5%
2017	5.76	1411^th	1466	3.8%
2018	8.71	1389^th	1448	4.1%
2023	7.50	1386^th	1470	5.7%
2024	7.31	1407^th	1486	5.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	12.87	1289^th	1397	7.7%
2023	11.53	1241^st	1350	8.1%
2024	11.13	1276^th	1381	7.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.79	1437^th	1443	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	13.06	1276^th	1446	11.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.51	325^th	475	31.6%

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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Friday, December 3, 2021

This school has a staff that cares for students deeply while pushing them to build their stamina in reading specifically. Teachers and the administration have an open line of communication with parents/guardians that is improving each year. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, March 12, 2019

My daughter has been a student here at Kent Hills Elementary since kindergarten,she is now in fifth grade.Over the years I've watched the school decline.I've seen some good teachers get let go.The conditions of the playground are disgusting which always seems to be littered with trash&bags of dog poop.There is no math tutors for children in fifth grade.The school has gone down hill since Mr.Rodgers,their principal took over.I would never recommend Kent Hills Elementary School to anyone. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Kent Hills Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	302	81	1	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	394
1989	313	92	8	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	422
1990	309	91	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	410
1991	200	208	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	408
1992	291	88	5	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	396
1993	285	103	5	9	8	n/a	n/a	0	410
1995	260	93	13	26	12	n/a	n/a	0	404
1996	260	93	13	26	12	n/a	n/a	0	404
1997	217	64	5	25	9	n/a	n/a	0	320
1998	217	74	5	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	321
1999	213	88	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	318
2000	168	84	2	13	1	n/a	n/a	26	294
2001	169	95	3	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	292
2002	128	107	0	33	4	n/a	n/a	0	272
2003	128	107	0	33	4	n/a	n/a	0	272
2004	128	128	1	49	3	n/a	n/a	0	309
2005	95	73	0	35	1	n/a	n/a	41	245
2006	77	72	1	26	2	n/a	n/a	38	216
2007	59	79	1	29	7	n/a	n/a	37	212
2008	65	97	2	25	6	n/a	n/a	40	235
2009	104	191	7	39	3	n/a	n/a	52	396
2010	100	201	6	27	1	n/a	n/a	68	403
2011	96	196	1	66	1	1	23	0	384
2012	99	197	2	66	1	0	35	0	400
2013	70	217	3	56	3	0	37	0	386
2014	65	195	0	62	2	0	42	0	366
2015	45	192	1	49	0	0	33	0	320
2016	51	171	1	42	0	0	40	0	305
2017	52	160	1	36	0	0	34	0	283
2018	24	135	4	38	0	0	23	0	224
2019	24	132	2	37	0	0	31	0	226
2020	17	129	1	34	1	0	25	0	207
2021	27	102	1	32	0	0	21	0	183
2022	20	98	1	36	1	0	18	0	174
2023	25	102	1	43	0	0	18	0	189

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 Kent Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	394	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	422	n/a	n/a	23.2
1990	410	26.0	15.7	21.2
1991	408	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	396	n/a	n/a	32.8
1993	410	n/a	0.0	40.5
1995	404	18.3	22.1	30.4
1996	404	18.3	22.1	30.4
1997	320	16.0	20.0	35.6
1998	321	17.0	18.9	34.6
1999	318	19.0	16.7	31.8
2000	294	15.2	17.6	57.5
2001	292	15.0	19.5	50.7
2002	272	17.5	15.5	68.4
2003	272	17.5	15.5	68.4
2004	309	19.4	15.9	74.1
2005	245	16.0	15.3	94.6
2006	216	14.1	15.3	94.4
2007	212	15.8	13.4	98.3
2008	235	14.1	16.7	103.6
2009	396	24.7	16.0	106.7
2010	403	23.2	17.3	110.7
2011	384	22.2	17.2	91.9
2012	400	23.7	16.8	91
2013	386	21.2	18.2	94
2014	366	21.7	16.8	93.7
2015	320	19.0	16.8	93.8
2016	305	20.0	15.2	84.3
2017	283	20.1	14.0	85.5
2018	224	17.1	13.0	89.7
2019	226	15.9	14.2	86.3
2020	207	14.1	14.6	89.9
2021	183	15.0	12.2	94
2022	174	13.0	13.3	93.7
2023	189	11.0	17.1	89.9

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 Kent Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	394	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	422	n/a	n/a	23.2
1990	410	26.0	15.7	21.2
1991	408	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	396	n/a	n/a	32.8
1993	410	n/a	0.0	40.5
1995	404	18.3	22.1	30.4
1996	404	18.3	22.1	30.4
1997	320	16.0	20.0	35.6
1998	321	17.0	18.9	34.6
1999	318	19.0	16.7	31.8
2000	294	15.2	17.6	57.5
2001	292	15.0	19.5	50.7
2002	272	17.5	15.5	68.4
2003	272	17.5	15.5	68.4
2004	309	19.4	15.9	74.1
2005	245	16.0	15.3	94.6
2006	216	14.1	15.3	94.4
2007	212	15.8	13.4	98.3
2008	235	14.1	16.7	103.6
2009	396	24.7	16.0	106.7
2010	403	23.2	17.3	110.7
2011	384	22.2	17.2	91.9
2012	400	23.7	16.8	91
2013	386	21.2	18.2	94
2014	366	21.7	16.8	93.7
2015	320	19.0	16.8	93.8
2016	305	20.0	15.2	84.3
2017	283	20.1	14.0	85.5
2018	224	17.1	13.0	89.7
2019	226	15.9	14.2	86.3
2020	207	14.1	14.6	89.9
2021	183	15.0	12.2	94
2022	174	13.0	13.3	93.7
2023	189	11.0	17.1	89.9

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 Kent Hills Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,135 (15.7%)	$11,426 (84.3%)	$13,561
2020	$1,587 (11.0%)	$12,854 (89.0%)	$14,441
2021	$2,586 (15.7%)	$13,871 (84.3%)	$16,457
2022	$4,242 (23.2%)	$14,039 (76.8%)	$18,282
2023	$3,868 (21.5%)	$14,157 (78.5%)	$18,026

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kent Hills Elementary

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	226	189	16.4%
African American	132	102	22.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	37	43	16.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	24	25	4.2%
Two or More Races	31	18	41.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.3%	89.9%	3.7%

Schools Near Kent Hills Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT 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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th 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 Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kent Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1445 Emerald Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2727	189	11	17.1	89.9%	25 (13.2%)	102 (54.0%)	43 (22.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.5%)	7.3	1407^th of 1486 public elementary schools	5.3%		7.5	1386^th of 1470 public elementary schools	5.7%	21			14.3	10.7				10.0					16.1				$18,026	$3,869	$14,157
East Leonard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	410 Barnett St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2525	167	13	13.1	91.6%	16 (9.6%)	90 (53.9%)	36 (21.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (15.0%)								(n/a)																	$19,682	$5,976	$13,706
Palmer School	Public	PK, KG-5	309 Palmer St NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2929	178	12	14.9	84.8%	43 (24.2%)	56 (31.5%)	50 (28.1%)	6 (3.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (12.4%)	18.1	1197^th of 1486 public elementary schools	19.4%		24.9	1080^th of 1470 public elementary schools	26.5%	117			26.7	29.0	34.2			12.5	25.0	7.3			17.1				$17,944	$4,526	$13,418
Aberdeen Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	928 Aberdeen St NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2868	234	18	13.0	77.4%	84 (35.9%)	81 (34.6%)	43 (18.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (10.3%)	12.8	1292^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	13.1%		17.2	1204^th of 1470 public elementary schools	18.1%	88			15.2	15.4	16.7	40.0	28.6	18.2	11.5								$19,375	$5,258	$14,118
Coit Creative Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	617 Coit Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2390	242	20	12.1	78.1%	83 (34.3%)	87 (36.0%)	41 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (12.0%)	38.2	881^st of 1486 public elementary schools	40.7%		24.8	1082^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	26.4%	201			50.0	33.3	39.0			48.7	12.1	20.0			31.7		15.0		$18,473	$4,108	$14,365
Harrison Park Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	1440 Davis Ave NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2565	639	34	18.6	93.3%	81 (12.7%)	176 (27.5%)	308 (48.2%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (10.3%)	5	1463^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	1.5%		6	1423^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	3.2%	40	31.3		7.5	13.0	4.4	6.5	12.5	4.3	10.3		6.3	8.1	7.4	11.1			$16,363	$4,241	$12,123
William C Abney Academy Elementary	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-6	1435 Fulton St E	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	William C. Abney Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 454-5541	347	24	14.3	100.0%	4 (1.2%)	335 (96.5%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)								(n/a)				16.7	9.8												$14,573	$4,069	$10,505
Congress Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	940 Baldwin St SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2201	191	11	18.1	67.0%	71 (37.2%)	52 (27.2%)	53 (27.7%)	7 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.2%)	52.1	679^th of 1486 public elementary schools	54.3%		58.7	567^th of 1470 public elementary schools	61.4%	112			32.0	48.7	60.0			20.0	41.5	29.0			50.0		21.9		$16,416	$3,567	$12,850
Stocking Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	863 7th St NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3130	148	9	17.4	91.9%	30 (20.3%)	36 (24.3%)	61 (41.2%)	2 (1.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.2%)								(n/a)					12.0			15.4									$17,605	$4,417	$13,189
Knapp Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1759 Leffingwell Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Knapp Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 364-1100	576	37	15.3	79.0%	148 (25.7%)	231 (40.1%)	92 (16.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	100 (17.4%)	49.3	709^th of 1486 public elementary schools	52.3%		40.5	847^th of 1470 public elementary schools	42.4%	138	48.3	31.0	28.3	52.9	55.6	31.7	51.7	35.8	41.2	25.0	26.8	36.7	51.9	37.9	32.1	20.7	$12,985	$1,893	$11,092

Kent Hills Elementary

Kent Hills Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Grand Rapids Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kent Hills Elementary

Rank History for all students at Kent Hills Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kent Hills Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Kent Hills Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Kent Hills Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Kent Hills Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Kent Hills Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kent Hills Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Kent Hills Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kent Hills Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Kent Hills Elementary

Student Body

Schools Near Kent Hills Elementary