Summary:
Vista Charter Academy is the sole elementary public charter school serving grades K-8 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school faces significant challenges, as evidenced by its consistently low performance on state assessments compared to the state averages. Vista Charter Academy ranks between 851 and 1,115 out of 1,470 to 1,488 Michigan elementary schools, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state.
Academically, the school struggles across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 18.6% (6th grade) to 39.1% (4th grade), compared to the state averages of 38.6% to 44.4%. In mathematics, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 12.9% (6th grade) to 55.1% (4th grade), compared to the state averages of 31.5% to 42.7%. The school's performance on the PSAT assessment for 8th graders is also below the state average.
Demographic and socioeconomic factors may contribute to the school's challenges. Vista Charter Academy has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 93.99% in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, the school has a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 29.5% in the same school year. These factors suggest that the school serves a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, which may impact student learning and achievement.
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