Lakeside School

Lakeside School is a K-5 elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 453 students within the highly-regarded East Grand Rapids Public Schools district. This school is a consistent academic standout, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past decade and ranking in the top 2-3% of all elementary schools in Michigan.

What truly sets Lakeside apart is its exceptional and consistent academic performance. Proficiency rates across all subjects and grades range from 65% to 80%, dramatically outpacing state averages. For example, 5th-grade reading proficiency sits at 79% compared to the state's 43.8%, and 5th-grade social studies proficiency is an impressive 80.2% versus the state's 27.5%. This strength is not limited to core subjects; the school excels across the board. Lakeside also boasts a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate in the single digits, a stark contrast to the state average of 27.9% and nearby schools like Campus Elementary (70.2%) and Martin Luther King Leadership Academy (56.3%). Furthermore, the school is highly effective with all student subgroups, ranking 1st in the state for its work with multi-racial students and in the 99th percentile for female and white students.

While schools in the nearby Grand Rapids Public Schools district, such as Mulick Park Elementary and Campus Elementary, rank in the bottom 15% of the state, Lakeside has remained in the top 42 schools for a decade. This consistency is a key differentiator, even within its own high-performing district, where it often outperforms peers like Breton Downs School and Wealthy School. Interestingly, Lakeside spends less per student ($13,167) than many lower-performing schools nearby, which often require more resources for student support. This points to a highly efficient and effective educational model, supported by a strong home and community environment, that delivers outstanding results year after year.