Summary:
Knapp Charter Academy is a single K-8 charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving 398 students within the Knapp Charter Academy district, where about 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
This school shows a mixed but encouraging picture. Overall, it ranks in the 60th percentile of Michigan schools for 2025-2026, a strong rebound from the previous year. The most impressive story is in 7th grade, where math proficiency nearly doubled from 25.8% to 47.4%—now 14 points above the state average—and ELA jumped to 50%, also above the state. Fourth and sixth graders also shine, beating state averages by more than 20 points in ELA. However, performance is uneven. Fifth grade is a clear weak spot, with social studies proficiency collapsing to just 10.7% (versus a 27.5% state average) and math at 28.6%. Science and social studies are consistent trouble areas across grades, with 8th grade science (29%) and social studies (38.7%) both trailing the state by double digits. The 8th grade PSAT also raises concerns, especially in math, where only 22.6% of students are on track versus 33.2% statewide.
Given the high-poverty context, the school’s ELA success in several grades is notable, but chronic absenteeism (30.4%) and per-student spending of $16,863 suggest resources aren't fully translating into consistent gains. Because grade-level cohorts are small (roughly 44 students), year-to-year swings can be dramatic—a few students can shift results by 10 points. Parents should view single-year scores cautiously and focus on the school’s clear strengths in upper-elementary literacy while asking how the school plans to address the glaring gaps in science, social studies, and 5th grade math.
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