Innovation Central High

Summary:

Innovation Central High is a public high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving 523 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district.

Innovation Central High faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 36.9% African American, 50.67% Hispanic, and only 6.88% White. The school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, with only 8.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to 37.5% at the state level and 27.8% in the district. While the school maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, it also has a high dropout rate, and has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 40.8% in 2019-2020 to 59% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools like Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, Southwest MiddleHigh Academia Bilingue, and Grand Rapids Montessori MiddleHigh, Innovation Central High performs significantly worse academically, with lower test scores and overall rankings. This disparity may be linked to the school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, as well as the lack of specialized programs or magnet school options that could be attracting higher-performing students to nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

421 Fountain St NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3398

(616) 819-2310

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
667^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,064

Feeder schools for Innovation Central High:

Elementary:	Aberdeen Academy
	Brookside Elementary
	Buchanan Elementary
	Burton Elementary
	More...
	Campus Elementary
	Cesar E Chavez Elementary
	Coit Creative Arts Academy
	Congress Elementary
	Dickinson Academy
	East Leonard Elementary
	Gerald R Ford Academic Center
	Harrison Park Academy
	KenOSha Park Elementary
	Kent Hills Elementary
	Martin Luther King Leadership Academy
	Mulick Park Elementary School
	North Park Montessori Academy
	Palmer School
	Shawmut Hills School
	Sherwood Global Studies Academy
	Sibley School
	Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue
	Stocking Elementary
Middle:	Alger Middle School
	Blandford School
	Burton Middle School
	Center for Economicology
	More...
	John Ball Park Zoo School
	Riverside Middle School
	Westwood Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 414

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.6%

African American:

33.6%

White:

11.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Innovation Central High ranks worse than 89.8% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks 8^th among 9 ranked high schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.8. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Innovation Central High 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: Hispanic (47.6%), African American (33.6%), White (11.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Innovation Central High is 13.7, which is the 3^rd best among 9 high schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Innovation Central High employs 30.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Innovation Central High is $20,064, which is the 5^th highest among 9 high schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Innovation Central High:

SchoolDigger ranks Innovation Central High 667^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Innovation Central High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Grand Rapids Public Schools:

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

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Rank History for Innovation Central High

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Rank History for all students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2015	29.55	584^th	832	29.8%
2016	19.85	625^th	852	26.6%
2017	11.61	647^th	835	22.5%
2018	13.57	662^nd	824	19.7%
2019	4.10	642^nd	666	3.6%
2021	5.34	547^th	561	2.5%
2023	7.36	683^rd	735	7.1%
2024	9.80	667^th	743	10.2%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	22.76	85^th	102	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.29	188^th	315	40.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	14.90	611^th	755	19.1%
2019	3.78	519^th	532	2.4%
2023	7.80	583^rd	614	5.0%
2024	14.12	579^th	654	11.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	9.87	598^th	710	15.8%
2019	3.36	534^th	554	3.6%
2023	4.92	589^th	611	3.6%
2024	3.30	610^th	619	1.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	12.04	592^nd	707	16.3%
2019	1.64	538^th	543	0.9%
2021	3.30	466^th	472	1.3%
2023	5.59	586^th	611	4.1%
2024	11.88	572^nd	633	9.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	30.85	162^nd	254	36.2%
2023	17.53	151^st	170	11.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	14.59	176^th	201	12.4%
2019	7.94	94^th	97	3.1%
2022	5.53	83^rd	83	0.0%
2023	6.16	187^th	190	1.6%
2024	11.88	181^st	195	7.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Innovation Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.12	545^th	708	23.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High 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 Innovation Central High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	108	337	5	284	3	0	49	786
2015	91	297	6	309	3	1	39	746
2016	81	291	5	346	4	1	44	772
2017	64	284	6	381	2	1	38	776
2018	51	223	4	387	1	1	39	706
2019	43	231	2	405	0	0	41	722
2020	36	230	1	409	2	0	40	718
2021	25	216	1	356	2	0	35	635
2022	40	230	2	337	2	0	30	641
2023	36	193	1	265	0	0	28	523
2024	47	139	2	197	0	0	29	414

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 Innovation Central High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	786	48.1	16.3	80.7
2015	746	42.0	17.7	76.5
2016	772	43.0	17.9	71.4
2017	776	38.8	20.0	75.9
2018	706	37.2	18.9	85.8
2019	722	37.7	19.1	87.7
2020	718	37.4	19.1	86.8
2021	635	36.2	17.5	89.4
2022	641	33.0	19.4	92
2023	523	32.0	16.3	89.3
2024	414	30.2	13.7	91.8

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 Innovation Central High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	786	48.1	16.3	80.7
2015	746	42.0	17.7	76.5
2016	772	43.0	17.9	71.4
2017	776	38.8	20.0	75.9
2018	706	37.2	18.9	85.8
2019	722	37.7	19.1	87.7
2020	718	37.4	19.1	86.8
2021	635	36.2	17.5	89.4
2022	641	33.0	19.4	92
2023	523	32.0	16.3	89.3
2024	414	30.2	13.7	91.8

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 Innovation Central High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,216 (16.5%)	$11,228 (83.5%)	$13,444
2020	$2,182 (15.6%)	$11,787 (84.4%)	$13,969
2021	$2,753 (18.7%)	$11,967 (81.3%)	$14,720
2022	$4,385 (26.3%)	$12,263 (73.7%)	$16,648
2023	$4,788 (23.9%)	$15,276 (76.1%)	$20,064

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Innovation Central High

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 642^nd of 666 High schools	Ranks 683^rd of 735 High schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Innovation Central High)	10.4	13.3	2.9%
11th Grade Social Studies (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	32	29.6	2.4%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Innovation Central High)	20.9	20.2	0.7%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Grand Rapids Public Schools)	38.9	42	3.1%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	722	523	27.6%
African American	231	193	16.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	405	265	34.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	43	36	16.3%
Two or More Races	41	28	31.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.7%	89.3%	1.6%

Schools Near Innovation Central High

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)	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 (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	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th 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
Innovation Central High	Public	9-12	421 Fountain St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2310	414	30	13.7	91.8%	47 (11.4%)	139 (33.6%)	197 (47.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	9.8	667^th of 743 public high schools	10.2%		7.4	683^rd of 735 public high schools	7.1%	16			15.7							8.8		21.3	$20,064	$4,788	$15,276
Grand Rapids Montessori MiddleHigh	Public	7-12	421 Fountain St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2405	179	11	16.1	64.8%	87 (48.6%)	39 (21.8%)	36 (20.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	14 (7.8%)	81.8	102^nd of 743 public high schools	86.3%		71.9	174^th of 735 public high schools	76.3%	72	65.5		66.7			40.0		24.0	17.2	54.2	24.1	45.8	$16,888	$3,323	$13,565
Grand Rapids Learning Center	Public	9-12	435 Fulton St E	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2010	30	2	20.0	73.3%	6 (20.0%)	12 (40.0%)	9 (30.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.7%)								(n/a)										33.3			$28,320	$3,371	$24,949
Grand Rapids Public Museum High	Public	9-12	54 Jefferson Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-6450	277	16	17.4	58.8%	130 (46.9%)	57 (20.6%)	63 (22.7%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.6%)	53.5	311^th of 743 public high schools	58.1%		67.7	198^th of 735 public high schools	73.1%	113			57.8	9.4						37.5		46.9	$17,426	$3,557	$13,869
Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	512 Division Ave S	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 819-1010	487	27	17.7	86.9%	31 (6.4%)	222 (45.6%)	205 (42.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.3%)	24.3	562^nd of 743 public high schools	24.4%		28.8	528^th of 735 public high schools	28.2%	34	34.8	5.8	36.9	6.2	19.7	29.7	7.6	14.1	15.7	25.0	11.4	28.1	$16,433	$3,708	$12,725
Empower U	Public	6-12	225 Mayfield Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4860	170	34	5.0	32.4%	98 (57.6%)	32 (18.8%)	24 (14.1%)	6 (3.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.3%)								(n/a)
Covenant High School Grand Rapids	Public, Charter	9-12	50 Antoine St SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Covenant High School Grand Rapids	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 364-2000	228	9	24.7	90.4%	14 (6.1%)	129 (56.6%)	70 (30.7%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)								(n/a)													$12,266	$1,141	$11,124
NexTech High School	Public, Charter	9-12	801 Broadway Ave NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	NexTech High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 458-4992	140	9	15.2	85.0%	60 (42.9%)	37 (26.4%)	32 (22.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.9%)	23.1	574^th of 743 public high schools	22.7%		31.4	508^th of 735 public high schools	30.9%	66			26.8							25.6		25.6	$9,847	$2,434	$7,412
Southwest MiddleHigh Academia Bilingue	Public	7-12	327 Rumsey St SW	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3160	384	18	21.5	86.2%	5 (1.3%)	18 (4.7%)	356 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	16.5	621^st of 743 public high schools	16.4%		11.3	660^th of 735 public high schools	10.2%	39	32.9		21.6			10.6		4.6	8.7	6.3		30.0	$15,378	$3,702	$11,675
Lighthouse Academy The Pier	Public, Charter	9-12	703 Ball Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Lighthouse Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(616) 304-8537	15	2	8.1	80.0%	0 (0.0%)	13 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (13.3%)								(n/a)													$31,647	$12,776	$18,871

Frequently Asked Questions about Innovation Central High

What is the racial makeup of Innovation Central High?

Students at Innovation Central High are 48% Hispanic, 34% African American, 11% White, 7% Two or more races.

What district is Innovation Central High in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

What schools feed into Innovation Central High?

How many students attend Innovation Central High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 414 students attended Innovation Central High.

Is Innovation Central High a good school?

Innovation Central High ranks in the bottom 10.2% of Michigan high schools.

Rate Innovation Central High!

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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.