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Kent Hills Elementary

Q: Is Kent Hills Elementary a good school?

Kent Hills Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Kent Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 370 students attended Kent Hills Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Kent Hills Elementary?

Students at Kent Hills Elementary are 59% African American, 21% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Kent Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kent Hills Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Blandford School Middle : Center for Economicology Middle : John Ball Park Zoo School Middle : Riverside Middle School High : City High Middle School High : Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy High : Innovation Central High High : Union High School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1473^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Kent Hills Elementary is a public school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 370 students in grades PK-5 within the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, where nearly 88% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Kent Hills is currently ranked in the bottom 1% of Michigan elementary schools, and its academic performance has been declining for a decade. In the 2025-2026 school year, only about 8-12% of students scored proficient in English Language Arts—roughly half the rate of nearby Aberdeen Academy (16-31%) and below Palmer School (9-15%). The school also ranks in the 0th percentile statewide for its performance with low-income students, placing it last among 1,346 schools. This is particularly concerning because the vast majority of Kent Hills students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and the school appears to be struggling to meet their needs effectively.

One of the most striking issues is chronic absenteeism. At 57.7%, Kent Hills has the highest rate among all nearby schools—more than double the state average (27.9%) and significantly higher than Congress Elementary (34.4%) or Coit Creative Arts Academy (30.8%). This persistent absenteeism is likely a major factor behind the low test scores. What makes this even more puzzling is that Kent Hills spends a substantial $18,497 per student—more than higher-performing neighbors like Congress Elementary ($15,859) and the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center ($12,794)—yet the investment is not translating into academic success. The data suggests that while poverty is a challenge, it doesn't tell the whole story: other high-poverty schools in the same district, such as Congress Elementary, achieve far better results. For parents considering Kent Hills, it's important to understand that the school faces significant hurdles, and the high spending and low outcomes point to a need for fundamental changes in how resources are used to support student learning and attendance.

370

Students ?

20.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,497

Per pupil spending ?

87.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1445 Emerald Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505-5228

(616) 819-2727

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Kent Hills Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

African American:

58.9%

Hispanic:

20.8%

White:

10.0%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Kent Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 10th percentile in 2013 → 1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (9% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (58% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school9%

District avg20%

Michigan avg38%

1,473^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

20^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	5.6	1473 of 1492	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	1480 of 1488	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.3	1407 of 1486	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	1386 of 1470	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.7	1389 of 1448	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.8	1411 of 1466	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.6	1355 of 1548	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.7	1389 of 1580	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.3	1370 of 1533	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	12.6	1414 of 1563	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.5	1447 of 1566	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	9.2	1479 of 1552	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	13.2	1464 of 1552	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	13.0	1483 of 1589	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	12.1	1480 of 1577	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.2	1460 of 1565	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	35.5	1243 of 1545	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	31.5	325 of 475	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	4.8	1437 of 1443	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	6.6	1345 of 1352	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.0	1345 of 1346	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	1276 of 1381	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.5	1241 of 1350	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	1289 of 1397	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	13.1	1276 of 1446	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2018)32nd percentile+28 vs school

Male (2018)12th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school

Female (2018)<1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts10%-32 vs state

Math7%-31 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Friday, December 3, 2021

This school has a staff that cares for students deeply while pushing them to build their stamina in reading specifically. Teachers and the administration have an open line of communication with parents/guardians that is improving each year. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, March 12, 2019

My daughter has been a student here at Kent Hills Elementary since kindergarten,she is now in fifth grade.Over the years I've watched the school decline.I've seen some good teachers get let go.The conditions of the playground are disgusting which always seems to be littered with trash&bags of dog poop.There is no math tutors for children in fifth grade.The school has gone down hill since Mr.Rodgers,their principal took over.I would never recommend Kent Hills Elementary School to anyone. Close Quote

Schools Near Kent Hills 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
Kent Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1445 Emerald Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2727	370	18	20.7	87.8%	37 (10.0%)	218 (58.9%)	77 (20.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (9.7%)	5.6	1473^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	1.3%		4.5	1480^th of 1488 public elementary schools	0.5%	7			12.2	7.8	8.7			8.2	1360.8	6.5			1471.9		1464.4		$18,497	$2,627	$15,870
Palmer School	Public	PK, KG-5	309 Palmer St NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2929	187	11	17.6	78.6%	42 (22.5%)	59 (31.6%)	51 (27.3%)	4 (2.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (15.5%)	8.5	1400^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.2%		14.4	1273^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	14.4%	127			14.7	8.9	10.3			1266.8	15.6	7.7			15.4		7.7		$21,010	$3,024	$17,986
Aberdeen Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	928 Aberdeen St NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2868	241	20	12.3	68.9%	90 (37.3%)	76 (31.5%)	48 (19.9%)	3 (1.2%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.7%)	20.2	1175^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.2%		13.6	1286^th of 1488 public elementary schools	13.6%	111			22.5	15.6	31.3	1570.6	1677.9	23.1	12.9	25.0	1561.1	1669.7	25.8		15.6		$23,517	$3,422	$20,095
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
Harrison Park Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	1440 Davis Ave NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2565	708	45	15.8	86.0%	87 (12.3%)	212 (29.9%)	323 (45.6%)	10 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (10.3%)	7.6	1421^st of 1492 public elementary schools	4.8%		6.7	1432^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	3.8%	11	31.8	7.6	12.3	11.0	7.3	7.5	5.2	17.7	13.4	1450.7	6.3	1659.7	1469.2	10.4	1459.4	21.2	$17,876	$2,798	$15,078
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
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
Knapp Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1759 Leffingwell Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Knapp Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 364-1100	398	28	14.2	76.6%	117 (29.4%)	137 (34.4%)	74 (18.6%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (16.6%)	56.7	602^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	59.7%		63.7	510^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.7%	92	58.1	22.6	38.5	72.7	42.9	60.0	50.0	40.4	48.5	28.6	40.0	47.4	39.3	29.0	10.7	38.7	$16,863	$2,248	$14,615
North Park Montessori Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3375 Cheney Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49525	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2848	379	27	13.8	27.2%	274 (72.3%)	26 (6.9%)	34 (9.0%)	4 (1.1%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.8%)	63.2	508^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.0%		62.5	531^st of 1488 public elementary schools	64.3%	23	81.3	43.8	42.5	60.5	54.3	48.9	54.1	30.0	32.6	32.6	31.1	32.4	56.5	56.3	43.5	56.3	$20,717	$1,941	$18,776
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Kent Hills Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Kent Hills Elementary?

Students at Kent Hills Elementary are 59% African American, 21% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% Two or more races.

Is Kent Hills Elementary a good school?

Kent Hills Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Kent Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kent Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

How many students attend Kent Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 370 students attended Kent Hills Elementary.

What district is Kent Hills Elementary in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

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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.