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River City Scholars Charter Academy

Q: Is River City Scholars Charter Academy a good school?

River City Scholars Charter Academy ranks 1108 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1108^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

River City Scholars Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 286 students with a notably low student-teacher ratio of 11.4:1. The school has shown one of the most consistent improvement trajectories in the area, climbing from the 2nd percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to the 26th percentile in 2025-2026—a remarkable six-year rise that has allowed it to surpass several nearby traditional public schools serving similar demographics.

The most striking differentiator is the school's exceptional performance with African American students, ranking in the 70th percentile statewide for this subgroup in 2025-2026 and earning a 3-star rating for three consecutive years. The school also shows dramatic improvement for economically disadvantaged students, jumping from the 19th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 40th percentile in 2025-2026. With a student-teacher ratio of 11.4:1, River City Scholars maintains significantly smaller class sizes than nearby schools like Burton Elementary (15.5:1), Mulick Park Elementary School (16:1), and Gerald R Ford Academic Center (16.1:1). Only Gerald Dawkins Academy (11.6:1), a charter school just 0.47 miles away, comes close to matching this ratio.

Despite these academic gains, chronic absenteeism remains a critical challenge at 47.4% (2024-2025), nearly double the state rate of 27.9%. The school spends $21,257 per student, higher than most nearby schools including Brookside Elementary ($17,266) and Buchanan Elementary ($20,069), with resources directed toward maintaining small class sizes. Test scores show relative strength in 8th grade PSAT ELA (50% proficiency vs. 64.8% state) and 6th grade ELA, though 7th grade math (11.54%) and 5th grade science (16.67%) lag state averages. The school's upward trajectory, particularly for students often underserved elsewhere, makes it a valuable case study—though addressing absenteeism could unlock even greater progress.

286

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,257

Per pupil spending ?

95.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

944 Evergreen St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507-2051

(616) 248-3390

District: River City Scholars Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

73.1%

Two or more races:

14.3%

Hispanic:

7.3%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare River City Scholars Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 9th percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (24% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 28% Michigan)

!Science scores 22 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg24%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

1,108^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 9% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

663^rd of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

492^nd of 625River City Scholars 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	23.6	1108 of 1492	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.4	1135 of 1488	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	1249 of 1486	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	1343 of 1470	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.9	1275 of 1344	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.2	1134 of 1153	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.5	1262 of 1408	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.9	1132 of 1448	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.9	1296 of 1466	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.0	1401 of 1548	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	14.9	1371 of 1580	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	118 of 388	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.0	159 of 369	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.4	148 of 348	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.3	232 of 321	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	44 of 51	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.6	131 of 212	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.1	140 of 475	70.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	1006 of 1343	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.9	1013 of 1338	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	1026 of 1342	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	1187 of 1321	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	1071 of 1171	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	1145 of 1443	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	817 of 1352	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	919 of 1346	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.9	1120 of 1381	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	1260 of 1350	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.8	1023 of 1099	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	718 of 749	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	1015 of 1134	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.0	974 of 1397	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	940 of 1366	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.2	1167 of 1347	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	1103 of 1196	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	1085 of 1446	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.3	663 of 896	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.6	733 of 890	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	707 of 897	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	843 of 883	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.9	670 of 675	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.3	737 of 792	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	719 of 838	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	7.6	777 of 821	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.2	789 of 894	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.4	828 of 919	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	140 of 337	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.4	176 of 338	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.1	74 of 77	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	39.3	204 of 366	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	363 of 789	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	22.2	616 of 789	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.3	673 of 794	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	552 of 834	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.8	682 of 832	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	631 of 836	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	773 of 825	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	513 of 523	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.5	619 of 672	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	624 of 815	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	584 of 813	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	678 of 798	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	737 of 776	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.7	644 of 797	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2026)70th percentile+44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2026)58th percentile+32 vs school

Female (2026)54th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)28th percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts23%-16 vs state

Social Studies23%-16 vs state

Math19%-17 vs state

Science18%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near River City Scholars 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
River City Scholars Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	944 Evergreen St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	River City Scholars Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 248-3390	286	25	11.4	95.8%	12 (4.2%)	209 (73.1%)	21 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (14.3%)	23.6	1108^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.7%		21.4	1135^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.7%	27	50.0	347.1	23.8	1373.1	21.1	29.6	18.5	28.6	1366.6	1462.8	19.2	11.5	16.7	18.2	16.7	28.6	$21,257	$2,113	$19,145
Gerald Dawkins Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	1050 Fisk St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Gerald Dawkins Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(517) 281-8626	152	13	11.6	96.7%	1 (0.7%)	135 (88.8%)	10 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	24.5	1090^th of 1492 public elementary schools	26.9%		18.4	1189^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.1%	99			16.7	22.2	40.9			33.3	1374.7	13.6			1475.4		1466.2		$20,430	$6,061	$14,369
Dickinson Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	448 Dickinson St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2505	224	19	11.9	84.4%	5 (2.2%)	87 (38.8%)	114 (50.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.7%)								(n/a)	30.8	367.7	1263.3	1363.1	1469.6	1573.4	25.0	9.4	1350.9	1455.6	1573.0	1667.1	1473.6	1775.9	1463.1	1783.5	$26,027	$3,674	$22,353
Mulick Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1761 Rosewood Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2810	264	16	16.0	81.4%	31 (11.7%)	178 (67.4%)	41 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.9%)	15.1	1275^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.5%		13.6	1285^th of 1488 public elementary schools	13.6%	10			20.5	11.1	24.1			25.0	15.6	17.2			24.1		10.3		$17,650	$2,272	$15,378
Campus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	710 Benjamin Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2535	210	14	15.5	92.4%	16 (7.6%)	133 (63.3%)	44 (21.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.6%)								(n/a)			7.7	1369.6	8.3			1257.5	1360.1	1452.3			1471.5		1463.7		$20,278	$2,571	$17,707
Gerald R Ford Academic Center	Public	PK, KG-8	851 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2640	213	13	16.1	85.4%	2 (0.9%)	109 (51.2%)	95 (44.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	21.1	1158^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.4%		19.8	1164^th of 1488 public elementary schools	21.8%	6	17.7	331.8	15.0	30.3	50.0	1572.3	20.0	20.0	9.1	14.3	1563.3	1674.0	14.3	1765.9	10.7	1778.8	$19,106	$2,985	$16,121
Martin Luther King Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	645 Logan St SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2600	299	16	18.4	92.3%	14 (4.7%)	216 (72.2%)	51 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.0%)	11.6	1339^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.3%		8.2	1392^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	6.5%	53	23.1	323.1	10.8	1369.5	1456.0	23.1	1668.4	13.5	10.3	1454.9	12.0	1654.3	1463.3	1774.1	1461.1	1779.2	$19,053	$2,965	$16,087
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
Grove Montessori A Wildflower Public School	Public, Charter	K-6	1545 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grove Montessori: A Wildflower Public School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(989) 400-0058	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Buchanan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1775 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2252	379	23	16.5	84.4%	8 (2.1%)	49 (12.9%)	317 (83.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	10.2	1366^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.4%		8.7	1378^th of 1488 public elementary schools	7.4%	12			10.9	17.9	20.3			25.0	8.9	8.6			10.2		6.8		$20,069	$3,021	$17,048

Frequently Asked Questions about River City Scholars Charter Academy

How many students attend River City Scholars Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 286 students attended River City Scholars Charter Academy.

What district is River City Scholars Charter Academy in?

River City Scholars Charter Academy

Is River City Scholars Charter Academy a good school?

River City Scholars Charter Academy ranks 1108^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of River City Scholars Charter Academy?

Students at River City Scholars Charter Academy are 73% African American, 14% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 4% White, 1% American Indian.

Rate River City Scholars 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.