Palmer School

Palmer School is a small elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 187 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, where the vast majority of families qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Palmer has experienced a sharp academic decline over the past few years. In 2022-2023, the school actually outperformed its district average in 3rd-grade reading, with 32.1% of students proficient compared to the district's 21.4%. By 2025-2026, that number had fallen to just 14.7%, now below the district average. Similar drops occurred in 4th and 5th grade, with proficiency rates falling by more than half in just three years. The school now ranks in the bottom 6% of Michigan elementary schools. A major factor appears to be chronic absenteeism—42.8% of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent, nearly matching the district's high rate and far exceeding the state average. This is especially concerning because nearby Coit Creative Arts Academy, which serves a similar percentage of low-income families (71.5%), achieves much better results with a 3-star rating and chronic absenteeism of just 30.8%. Coit demonstrates that high poverty doesn't have to mean low performance.

Palmer spends over $21,000 per student—comparable to or higher than several better-performing nearby schools—yet achieves bottom-tier results. For example, North Park Montessori Academy, just over two miles away, spends a similar amount but ranks in the 66th percentile statewide. Even Congress Elementary spends significantly less ($15,859 per student) and outperforms Palmer. The school's small size means test scores can swing dramatically from year to year, but the consistent downward trend across all grades and subjects signals a need for urgent attention. Parents considering Palmer should be aware of the attendance challenges and academic trajectory, and may want to explore the stronger-performing options nearby.