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Congress Elementary

Q: Is Congress Elementary a good school?

Congress Elementary ranks 1053 rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1053^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Congress Elementary is a public school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 237 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district. Located on the southeast side of the city, the school has seen significant swings in performance over the past decade, most recently dropping to a 1-star rating after several years of solid mid-tier results.

Despite the recent decline, Congress Elementary consistently outperforms the GRPS district average by a wide margin—often doubling or tripling proficiency rates in core subjects. For example, 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 41.2% compared to the district's 20.1%, and 5th-grade math reached 21.9% versus the district's 15.7%. The school also shines in science and social studies, with 5th graders posting 60% proficiency in science in 2024-2025, far exceeding both district and state averages. When compared to nearby GRPS schools, Congress is a clear standout: it significantly outperforms Martin Luther King Leadership Academy (10th percentile), Campus Elementary (2nd percentile), and Gerald R Ford Academic Center (22nd percentile), while performing comparably to Coit Creative Arts Academy (57th percentile).

The school's biggest challenge is an equity gap. While Congress shows strong results for certain student groups—ranking in the 75th-93rd percentile for White students and reaching the 85th percentile for African American students in 2024-2025—its performance with low-income students is critically low, dropping to the 19th percentile in the most recent year. With over 60% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, this subgroup's struggles heavily impact the school's overall ranking. Chronic absenteeism sits at 34.4%, which is notably better than the GRPS average of 41.3%. The school spends approximately $15,859 per student, less than several lower-performing nearby schools, suggesting that targeted support for its most vulnerable learners could be a key lever for improvement.

237

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,859

Per pupil spending ?

62.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

940 Baldwin St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1429

(616) 819-2201

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Congress Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Alger Middle School
	Blandford School
	Center for Economicology
	John Ball Park Zoo School
High:	City High Middle School
	Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
	Innovation Central High
	Ottawa Hills High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.7%

African American:

28.3%

Hispanic:

25.3%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Congress Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 27th percentile in 2016 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Grand Rapids Public Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Social Studies scores 18 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg20%

Michigan avg38%

1,053^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 20Elementary Schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools

480^th of 625Grand Rapids Public Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	1053 of 1492	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	54.4	656 of 1488	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	679 of 1486	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.7	567 of 1470	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	458 of 1344	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.3	272 of 1153	76.4%	★★★★☆
2019	27.0	1024 of 1408	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	1068 of 1448	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.1	1131 of 1466	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.8	1128 of 1548	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.0	1262 of 1580	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.3	1141 of 1533	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.6	1283 of 1563	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.5	1458 of 1566	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	11.4	1463 of 1552	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.1	1506 of 1552	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	23.6	1388 of 1589	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	18.0	1431 of 1577	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	5.6	1532 of 1565	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	2.6	1532 of 1545	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	55 of 369	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	42.1	253 of 475	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	888 of 1343	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.8	481 of 1338	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	561 of 1342	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	396 of 1321	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	48.8	539 of 1106	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	24.8	1112 of 1443	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	50.0	94 of 222	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.5	1098 of 1352	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.4	777 of 1346	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	739 of 1381	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.8	945 of 1350	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	646 of 1099	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	950 of 1397	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	922 of 1372	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.0	635 of 1366	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.8	399 of 1347	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	53.4	582 of 1334	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.2	937 of 1446	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	298 of 1199	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	89.1	81 of 1198	93.2%	★★★★★

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)

African American (2025)85th percentile+29 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile+46 vs school

Hispanic (2018)58th percentile+31 vs school

Female (2026)34th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts34%-7 vs state

Science25%-15 vs state

Math23%-15 vs state

Social Studies9%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Congress Elementary

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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
Congress Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	940 Baldwin St SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2201	237	11	20.9	62.9%	94 (39.7%)	67 (28.3%)	60 (25.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	26.9	1053^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	29.4%		54.4	656^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.9%	397			41.2	24.0	34.4			26.5	20.0	21.9			25.0		9.4		$15,859	$1,847	$14,012
William C Abney Academy Elementary	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	1435 Fulton St E	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	William C. Abney Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 454-5541	273	20	14.0	100.0%	2 (0.7%)	244 (89.4%)	14 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.4%)	7.8	1413^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.3%		12.1	1318^th of 1488 public elementary schools	11.4%	95			10.3	13.9	16.7	1583.3	22.2	1274.9	1366.5	1466.4	1574.7	1662.5	1472.7		1464.7		$16,374	$3,623	$12,750
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
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
Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	Public, Charter	K-5	409 Lafayette Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 459-0330	287	17	16.9	29.3%	190 (66.2%)	35 (12.2%)	38 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.7%)	90.2	130^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.3%		90.6	113^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.4%	17			70.8	64.0	73.2			60.4	64.0	53.7			63.4		53.7		$12,794	$458	$12,336
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
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
Coit Creative Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	617 Coit Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-7451	246	18	13.8	71.5%	87 (35.4%)	73 (29.7%)	50 (20.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (13.4%)	54	641^st of 1492 public elementary schools	57.0%		46.2	773^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	48.1%	132			40.5	23.8	50.0			40.5	16.7	38.6			54.5		45.5		$21,410	$2,438	$18,971
Wealthy School	Public	K-5	1961 Lake Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	East Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 235-7550	462	25	18.5	6.9%	384 (83.1%)	17 (3.7%)	19 (4.1%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.0%)	96.9	28^th of 1492 public elementary schools	98.1%		97.6	18^th of 1488 public elementary schools	98.8%	10			67.5	82.2	77.8			72.5	84.9	65.4			74.1		75.3		$13,329	$186	$13,143
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Congress Elementary

Is Congress Elementary a good school?

Congress Elementary ranks 1053^rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Congress Elementary?

Students at Congress Elementary are 40% White, 28% African American, 25% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Congress Elementary in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Congress Elementary attend?

Students who attend Congress Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alger Middle School
Middle : Blandford School
Middle : Center for Economicology
Middle : John Ball Park Zoo School
High : City High Middle School
High : Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
High : Innovation Central High
High : Ottawa Hills High School

How many students attend Congress Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 237 students attended Congress Elementary.

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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.