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Lighthouse Academy South Campus

Q: Is Lighthouse Academy South Campus a good school?

Lighthouse Academy South Campus ranks in the bottom 6.4% of Michigan alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 213 students attended Lighthouse Academy South Campus.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

Students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus are 49% African American, 22% White, 22% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

749^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan Alternative Schools

Better than 6% of Michigan alternative schools

Summary

Lighthouse Academy South Campus is a small alternative public school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 213 students in grades K-12 within the Lighthouse Academy district, where over 93% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school serves a student population facing significant challenges, and the data reflects that reality. The graduation rate of 45.5% for 2024-2025, while still far below the state average of 84%, represents a remarkable improvement from just 20.5% two years earlier—a sign that recent efforts may be gaining traction. The dropout rate of 39.7% and chronic absenteeism rate of 55.2% remain serious concerns, with absenteeism nearly double the state average. However, it's worth noting that South Campus outperforms its sister school, Lighthouse Academy Waalkes, on graduation (45.5% vs. 7.6%) and dropout rates, suggesting this campus is more effective at keeping students on track to completion. Academic proficiency on standardized tests is low—for example, only 28.6% of 10th graders were proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state's 58%—but South Campus consistently beats its own district average, indicating it's a relative strength within the Lighthouse network.

What makes this school distinctive is its intensive investment in students. Per-pupil spending of $21,350 is nearly double that of nearby Byron Center Charter School ($11,413), and the student-teacher ratio of 12.4:1 allows for personalized attention. This high-touch approach hasn't yet closed the achievement gap—Byron Center, serving a less economically disadvantaged population, boasts a 100% graduation rate and far higher test scores—but it reflects a genuine commitment to supporting students with complex needs that extend beyond academics. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that Lighthouse Academy South Campus is designed for students who may have struggled in traditional settings, and while outcomes remain challenging, the upward trend in graduation rates and the substantial resource investment offer reasons for cautious optimism.

213

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,350

Per pupil spending ?

93.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3300 36th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512-2810

(616) 949-2287

District: Lighthouse Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.3%

White:

22.1%

Hispanic:

21.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Lighthouse Academy South Campus to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2012 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (24% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (46% vs 84%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg20%

Michigan avg61%

749^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 4 pts since 2018

From bottom 11% (2018) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Alternative Schools in the Lighthouse Academy

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

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2015	6.8	889 of 919	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.5	884 of 921	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.1	894 of 919	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.2	858 of 900	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	0.3	856 of 858	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	4.8	814 of 815	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	5.8	792 of 797	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	6.6	749 of 800	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.8	720 of 743	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.6	735 of 824	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	7.8	740 of 799	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.8	708 of 805	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.6	615 of 773	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	3.6	767 of 784	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	8.9	659 of 719	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.0	674 of 755	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	4.0	675 of 707	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	3.8	664 of 708	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Male (2018)1st percentile

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)<1st percentile

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile~ school

White (2018)6th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2018)5th percentile-6 vs school

★

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Schools Near Lighthouse Academy South Campus

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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 ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)			PSAT Mathematics (2026)			SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th 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 Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th 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
Lighthouse Academy South Campus	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3300 36th St SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	Lighthouse Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 949-2287	213	17	12.4	93.4%	47 (22.1%)	105 (49.3%)	46 (21.6%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (3.8%)								(n/a)	26.7	19.4	28.6																					$21,350	$3,406	$17,943
PrepNet Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3850 Broadmoor Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	PrepNet Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(313) 296-1499	1,080	62	17.5	85.2%	206 (19.1%)	589 (54.5%)	81 (7.5%)	19 (1.8%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	176 (16.3%)								(n/a)	44.8	34.9	36.2	16.0	11.2	9.6	35.0	10.5	16.2	16.0	17.5	19.5	10.5	9.6		9.7	8.8	11.0	16.8	21.0	4.2	25.6	26.2	$12,503	$952	$11,551
Excel Charter Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4201 Breton Rd SE	Grand Rapids	49512	Kent County	Excel Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 281-9339	791	42	19.0	62.6%	245 (31.0%)	255 (32.2%)	133 (16.8%)	51 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (13.5%)								(n/a)	73.8			50.0				52.4	57.1	62.7	65.1	51.2	57.1	54.8	44.6	62.7	53.0	51.2	45.2		39.0	57.1		$12,534	$902	$11,633
Hope Academy of West Michigan	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	240 Brown St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Hope Academy of West Michigan	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 301-8458	284	26	10.7	93.3%	1 (0.4%)	41 (14.4%)	240 (84.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)	20.8	18.2	23.1							16.0	15.0	23.8					14.3	12.5						$13,842	$1,881	$11,961
Lincoln School	Public, Alternative	K-12	860 Crahen Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4700	99	27	3.7	57.6%	57 (57.6%)	20 (20.2%)	8 (8.1%)	6 (6.1%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.1%)								(n/a)
Lincoln Developmental Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	862 Crahen Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4800	77	15	5.1	37.7%	42 (54.5%)	11 (14.3%)	15 (19.5%)	3 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.8%)								(n/a)
Grand Rapids Montessori Academy	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	159 College Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2405	297	18	16.5	41.8%	193 (65.0%)	42 (14.1%)	41 (13.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)								(n/a)								29.1	34.1	37.1	28.1		29.1	25.0	25.7			51.4			26.5			$19,245	$3,274	$15,971
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1501 Cedar St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Lighthouse Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(616) 304-8537	73	7	10.4	95.9%	17 (23.3%)	41 (56.2%)	10 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.8%)								(n/a)		27.8	27.3																					$11,925	$5,558	$6,367
Pine Grove Learning Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2101 52nd St SW	Wyoming	49519	Kent County	Kent Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(616) 410-4900	85	19	4.5	49.4%	36 (42.4%)	17 (20.0%)	21 (24.7%)	3 (3.5%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.1%)								(n/a)
Byron Center Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	9930 Burlingame Ave SW	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Byron Center Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 878-4852	199	18	11.3	56.3%	160 (80.4%)	4 (2.0%)	25 (12.6%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.0%)								(n/a)		75.0	72.7	25.0	29.2			26.7	66.7	68.4	40.9	63.6	53.3	61.9	42.1	31.8	36.4	73.7	66.7	70.0	63.2			$11,413	$615	$10,798

Frequently Asked Questions about Lighthouse Academy South Campus

How many students attend Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 213 students attended Lighthouse Academy South Campus.

What district is Lighthouse Academy South Campus in?

Lighthouse Academy

What is the racial makeup of Lighthouse Academy South Campus?

Students at Lighthouse Academy South Campus are 49% African American, 22% White, 22% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Lighthouse Academy South Campus a good school?

Lighthouse Academy South Campus ranks in the bottom 6.4% of Michigan alternative schools.

Rate Lighthouse Academy South Campus!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.