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New Branches Charter Academy

Public, Magnet, Charter Grades K-8

1183^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

New Branches Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 345 students, with nearly 89% of its student body eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and it operates as its own district within the New Branches Charter Academy district.

This school tells a story of two halves. In the early grades, test scores are below state averages—for example, 3rd-grade math proficiency was just 14.3% compared to the state's 42.9%. However, something remarkable happens as students move up. By 7th grade, ELA proficiency climbs to 41.7%, and by 8th grade, students taking the PSAT actually outperform the state average in math (37.9% vs. 33.2%) and come close in ELA (58.6% vs. 64.8%). This upward trend is especially notable when compared to Vista Charter Academy, a nearby K-8 charter less than a mile away. While Vista ranks higher overall (38th vs. 21st percentile) and does better in early grades, New Branches' 8th graders significantly outpace Vista's on the PSAT (58.6% vs. 40% in ELA, and 37.9% vs. 20% in math). The 8th-grade class also posted impressive science scores (54.5% proficiency vs. the state's 38.8%), suggesting a particularly effective middle school team.

One of the school's standout strengths is its performance with African American students, who ranked in the 67th percentile statewide in 2022-2023—a 3-star rating that outshines the school's overall 1-star rating. However, chronic absenteeism is a growing concern, sitting at 34.9% for 2024-2025, well above the state average of 27.9%. On the resource side, New Branches spends less per student ($14,420) than every comparable school in the area—nearby schools spend between $15,144 and $21,518—yet still manages to produce competitive results, particularly in the middle grades. When compared to local traditional public schools, New Branches generally outperforms schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools and Kelloggsville Public Schools districts, but lags behind higher-performing schools in Kentwood Public Schools like Bowen Elementary and Meadowlawn Elementary.

345

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,420

Per pupil spending ?

89%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3662 Poinsettia Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508-3409

(616) 243-6221

District: New Branches Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.0%

Hispanic:

25.8%

White:

9.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare New Branches Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 24th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (28% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg28%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

1,183^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

457^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

429^th of 625New Branches Charter Academy among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	1183 of 1492	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	1234 of 1488	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	1176 of 1486	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	1048 of 1470	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	982 of 1344	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	1013 of 1153	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	1121 of 1408	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	1094 of 1448	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.7	995 of 1466	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	25.1	1179 of 1548	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	26.9	1206 of 1580	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.7	1227 of 1533	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	36.0	1087 of 1563	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.3	1080 of 1566	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.9	1130 of 1552	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.4	1194 of 1552	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	46.7	1111 of 1589	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.6	1019 of 1577	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	32.9	1281 of 1565	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	36.2	1232 of 1545	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	204 of 388	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	180 of 348	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.1	105 of 321	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.5	34 of 158	78.5%	★★★★☆
2021	43.5	26 of 51	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.4	69 of 212	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.1	141 of 475	70.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	23.4	1021 of 1338	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	1050 of 1342	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	873 of 1321	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	672 of 1106	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.0	831 of 902	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.2	1007 of 1171	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	1122 of 1443	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	23.2	194 of 222	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	990 of 1352	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	1036 of 1346	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.8	1084 of 1381	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	857 of 1350	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.8	624 of 1099	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.0	543 of 749	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.7	870 of 1134	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.3	954 of 1397	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	1008 of 1372	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.1	1115 of 1366	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	1116 of 1347	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	1073 of 1334	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	959 of 1139	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.8	849 of 915	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.9	984 of 1446	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	457 of 896	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.3	555 of 890	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	490 of 897	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.3	512 of 883	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.7	370 of 776	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	17.5	668 of 792	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	669 of 838	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.9	512 of 821	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	23.5	681 of 894	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.2	671 of 919	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.1	763 of 921	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.2	638 of 919	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	24.7	731 of 900	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	35.8	669 of 858	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.1	688 of 851	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	72.4	227 of 847	73.2%	★★★★☆
2008	53.9	517 of 839	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	74 of 337	78.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.6	56 of 338	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	78.7	32 of 300	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	56 of 310	81.9%	★★★★☆
2018	26.9	270 of 366	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	338 of 789	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.4	531 of 789	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	346 of 771	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.4	528 of 770	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.1	637 of 794	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	24.6	209 of 265	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	315 of 834	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.5	467 of 832	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	367 of 836	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	299 of 825	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	232 of 691	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.0	514 of 672	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.2	593 of 815	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	427 of 813	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.6	338 of 798	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	421 of 786	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.1	420 of 776	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	571 of 797	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2026)47th percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)27th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)24th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2018)13th percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

African American (2026)78th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)47th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)21st percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics38%+5 vs state

Science32%-7 vs state

Social Studies27%-12 vs state

English Language Arts27%-13 vs state

Math15%-21 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

I love this school the principal is awesome they handle consequences great they talk to students before they suspend them to figure out what happened the foodvis Good Close Quote

Schools Near New Branches Charter Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
New Branches Charter Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	3662 Poinsettia Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	New Branches Charter Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 243-6221	345	27	12.6	89.0%	34 (9.9%)	176 (51.0%)	89 (25.8%)	13 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.6%)	19.5	1183^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.7%		16.5	1234^th of 1488 public elementary schools	17.1%	51	58.6	37.9	10.7	1381.9	27.3	30.8	41.7	14.3	1376.1	12.1	15.4	20.8	24.2	41.4	18.2	37.9	$14,420	$2,256	$12,164
Sherwood Global Studies Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	3859 Chamberlain Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3095	121	10	11.6	76.9%	8 (6.6%)	70 (57.9%)	29 (24.0%)	5 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.4%)	19.1	1192^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.1%		20.3	1154^th of 1488 public elementary schools	22.4%	38			16.7	20.0	26.5	15.4		40.0	22.9	11.8	1567.4		20.6		1472.5		$21,518	$2,796	$18,721
Vista Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	711 32nd St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Vista Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 246-6920	641	44	14.5	93.4%	48 (7.5%)	198 (30.9%)	334 (52.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (8.7%)	35.7	920^th of 1492 public elementary schools	38.3%		35	935^th of 1488 public elementary schools	37.2%	15	40.0	20.0	25.8	23.8	39.7	30.8	23.4	41.9	42.9	25.4	29.2	21.9	28.6	23.3	9.5	38.3	$15,144	$2,367	$12,777
Bowen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4483 Kalamazoo Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 455-5220	357	23	15.3	78.2%	63 (17.6%)	126 (35.3%)	65 (18.2%)	84 (23.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	50.3	692^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	53.6%		36.8	912^th of 1488 public elementary schools	38.7%	220			45.7	41.7	46.7			52.2	38.9	31.1			35.6		13.3		$16,963	$2,221	$14,742
Hamilton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3303 Breton Rd SE	Kentwood	49512	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(616) 455-4400	0																		(n/a)			29.1	35.7	28.0			32.7	19.6	24.0			24.0		16.0
Meadowlawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4939 Burgis Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 534-4608	339	21	15.9	90.3%	58 (17.1%)	109 (32.2%)	68 (20.1%)	65 (19.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.0%)	42.4	819^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.1%		43.9	813^th of 1488 public elementary schools	45.4%	6			44.7	36.4	38.6			60.5	36.4	29.5			25.0		6.8		$16,219	$2,264	$13,955
Central Kelloggsville Elementary	Public	3-5	4625 Jefferson Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kelloggsville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 532-1580	494	27	18.1	82.8%	62 (12.6%)	165 (33.4%)	201 (40.7%)	28 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (7.3%)	16	1254^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.0%		17.2	1219^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.1%	35			15.7	24.5	19.2			21.6	21.1	9.6			27.2		12.7		$15,591	$1,721	$13,871
North Godwin Elementary School	Public	2-5	161 34th St SW	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Godwin Heights Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 252-2010	400	24	16.5	90.5%	45 (11.3%)	89 (22.3%)	233 (58.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	23.5	1112^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.5%		17.5	1210^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.7%	98			25.4	23.0	33.6			35.7	23.5	17.0			26.2		9.4		$18,129	$2,802	$15,326
Brookside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2505 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2927	254	15	16.6	74.8%	54 (21.3%)	101 (39.8%)	72 (28.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.2%)	17.5	1226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.8%		10	1359^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.7%	133			26.0	16.1	25.6			23.5	12.9	11.6			22.0		17.1		$17,266	$2,769	$14,497
West Kelloggsville School	Public	K-2	4555 Magnolia Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kelloggsville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 532-1595	253	18	14.1	84.2%	46 (18.2%)	46 (18.2%)	129 (51.0%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.5%)								(n/a)																	$19,474	$1,379	$18,095

Frequently Asked Questions about New Branches Charter Academy

What is the racial makeup of New Branches Charter Academy?

Students at New Branches Charter Academy are 51% African American, 26% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend New Branches Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 345 students attended New Branches Charter Academy.

What district is New Branches Charter Academy in?

New Branches Charter Academy

Is New Branches Charter Academy a good school?

New Branches Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 20.7% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate New Branches Charter Academy!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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.