Best Public Schools in Ada, MI

The seven public schools serving Ada, Michigan, a suburban community east of Grand Rapids, are all part of the top-ranked Forest Hills Public Schools district, which ranks 11th out of 625 districts statewide. These schools include two elementary schools (Ada Elementary School and Ada Vista Elementary School), four middle schools (Central Middle School, Eastern Middle School, Central Woodlands 56 School, and Goodwillie Environmental School), and one high school (Eastern High School), serving roughly 3,088 students in total.

For parents, the standout choice at the elementary level is Ada Elementary School, ranked 25th in Michigan with 3rd-grade math proficiency at 81.7%—nearly double the state average. At the middle level, Central Middle School is the elite performer, ranking 8th statewide with 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency of 92.7% and math at 76.2%, far exceeding state averages. Meanwhile, the tiny Goodwillie Environmental School (just 103 students) posts the highest single-subject score in the dataset—92.31% in 5th-grade ELA—despite having the lowest per-student spending ($13,219) and highest student-teacher ratio (24.2:1). By contrast, Eastern Middle School shows slightly weaker results than Central Middle, and Ada Vista Elementary School trails Ada Elementary in most subjects.

Across the district, all schools dramatically outperform Michigan averages—for example, 11th-grade SAT math at Eastern High School is 70.3% versus the state’s 26.5%, and the graduation rate is 96.8%. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low (5.1% to 16.2% versus the state’s 27.9%), though it rises with grade level. Math remains the relative weak point compared to reading, and science scores show year-to-year volatility. Notably, per-student spending varies widely ($13,219 to $19,522) without clear outcome differences, suggesting school culture and curriculum matter more than resources once a baseline is met. For families, this is an exceptional district overall, but choosing between middle schools—Central versus Eastern—could meaningfully impact your child’s experience.