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Westwood Middle School

Q: Is Westwood Middle School a good school?

Westwood Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Michigan middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Westwood Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 176 students attended Westwood Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Westwood Middle School?

Students at Westwood Middle School are 37% African American, 35% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 14% White.

Q: What high school do graduates of Westwood Middle School attend?

Students who attend Westwood Middle School usually go on to attend City High Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

896^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 896 Michigan Middle Schools

Better than 0% of Michigan middle schools

Summary

Westwood Middle School in Grand Rapids, MI, is a small school serving 176 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, where over 86% of students come from low-income households.

The most striking challenge at Westwood is its extremely high chronic absenteeism rate, which has remained above 60% for five straight years and reached 71.6% in 2023-2024. This is dramatically higher than the district average of 41.3% and more than double the state average of 27.9%. To put this in perspective, nearby Burton Middle School has a chronic absenteeism rate of 42.2%, while Grand Rapids Public Museum Middle sits at just 30.1%. Only Riverside Middle School shows a similarly high rate at 68.1%. This absenteeism problem directly correlates with academic performance—when two-thirds of students are regularly missing class, meaningful learning becomes nearly impossible. Test scores reflect this struggle, with proficiency rates in the single digits for 7th-grade ELA (7.02%) and 8th-grade Social Studies (4.29%).

What makes Westwood's situation particularly concerning is the combination of high spending and declining outcomes. The school spends $27,247 per student annually—over $9,000 more than Burton Middle School, which serves a similar demographic but achieves better results. Despite this significant investment, Westwood's state ranking has plummeted from the 10th percentile in 2022-2023 to the bottom 0-1st percentile in recent years. The contrast with smaller thematic schools in the district, such as Center for Economicology or Blandford School, which serve fewer low-income students and achieve proficiency rates of 48-79%, highlights the immense challenges Westwood faces. For parents considering this school, understanding the attendance crisis and its direct impact on learning is essential.

176

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,247

Per pupil spending ?

86.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

1525 Mount Mercy Dr NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-4904

(616) 819-3322

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Westwood Middle School usually attend:

High:	City High Middle School
	Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
	Innovation Central High
	Union High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

36.9%

Hispanic:

34.7%

Two or more races:

14.2%

See top rated Michigan middle schools

Compare Westwood Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 7th percentile in 2016 → <1st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (9% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (68% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school9%

District avg25%

Michigan avg41%

896^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 7% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle 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	2.5	896 of 896	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	883 of 890	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.3	892 of 897	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	798 of 883	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	708 of 776	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.4	664 of 675	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.1	778 of 792	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	815 of 838	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.6	805 of 821	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.8	830 of 894	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.0	853 of 919	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.0	878 of 921	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.3	858 of 919	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	6.9	875 of 900	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	3.1	842 of 858	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.8	817 of 851	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	4.3	816 of 847	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	8.1	792 of 839	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	6.5	788 of 823	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.3	766 of 806	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	15.5	356 of 366	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	17.6	149 of 154	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	9.8	717 of 770	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	582 of 657	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	3.4	651 of 658	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.4	745 of 794	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	10.9	237 of 246	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.5	124 of 138	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.2	136 of 137	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.3	262 of 266	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	5.0	828 of 836	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	735 of 825	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.9	606 of 691	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.2	504 of 523	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.4	660 of 672	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	770 of 815	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	7.6	774 of 797	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	7.5	155 of 156	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	4.2	670 of 678	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2023)7th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2023)4th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2018)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2018)3rd percentile~ school

African American (2018)3rd percentile~ school

White (2018)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)1st percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2018)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts7%-31 vs state

Social Studies4%-46 vs state

★

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Schools Near Westwood Middle School

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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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th 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
Westwood Middle School	Public	6-8	1525 Mount Mercy Dr NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3322	176	17	10.3	86.9%	24 (13.6%)	65 (36.9%)	61 (34.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (14.2%)	2.5	896^th of 896 public middle schools	0.0%		4.5	883^rd of 890 public middle schools	0.8%	13	14.7	304.1		1565.1	7.0		1558.1	1657.4		1761.5		4.3	$27,247	$2,957	$24,290
John Ball Park Zoo School	Public	6	1300 Fulton St W	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 819-5900	58	3	22.3	43.1%	47 (81.0%)	2 (3.4%)	3 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (10.3%)								(n/a)				72.2			48.1						$17,240	$1,523	$15,718
Grand Rapids Public Museum Middle	Public	6-8	272 Pearl St NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3600	175	10	18.2	64.6%	57 (32.6%)	41 (23.4%)	49 (28.0%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (14.3%)	27.4	634^th of 896 public middle schools	29.2%		17.3	724^th of 890 public middle schools	18.7%	90	58.0	18.0		14.0	28.6		12.0	16.3		26.9		38.5	$17,990	$2,448	$15,542
Blandford School	Public	6	3143 Milo St NW	Grand Rapids	49534	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 819-2555	60	3	24.0	23.3%	50 (83.3%)	1 (1.7%)	7 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.3%)								(n/a)				76.7			70.0						$16,195	$1,847	$14,348
Center for Economicology	Public	6	1720 Plainfield Ave NE	Grand Rapids	49505	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2380	60	2	25.5	40.0%	29 (48.3%)	7 (11.7%)	20 (33.3%)	3 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)								(n/a)				79.3			77.6						$13,080	$1,650	$11,430
Lee Middle School	Public	6-8	1335 Lee St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 452-3296	346	22	15.5	93.6%	24 (6.9%)	33 (9.5%)	267 (77.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.8%)	11.4	812^th of 896 public middle schools	9.4%		18.2	716^th of 890 public middle schools	19.6%	96	43.7	9.2		13.0	9.6		5.6	9.7		14.4		21.2	$18,654	$2,457	$16,197
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	421 Fountain St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2969	227	20	11.3	91.2%	26 (11.5%)	139 (61.2%)	38 (16.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (10.1%)	6.4	874^th of 896 public middle schools	2.5%		3	889^th of 890 public middle schools	0.1%	15	19.0	312.2		10.9	9.7		7.7	4.8		1765.3		6.9	$28,079	$3,986	$24,093
Burton Middle School	Public	6-8	2133 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2269	488	26	19.1	77.9%	13 (2.7%)	107 (21.9%)	358 (73.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	4.7	889^th of 896 public middle schools	0.8%		5.2	875^th of 890 public middle schools	1.7%	14	21.4	328.2		6.0	6.0		2.2	2.4		5.2		14.2	$18,131	$2,896	$15,235
Wyoming Junior High School	Public	7-8	2125 Wrenwood St SW	Wyoming	49519	Kent County	Wyoming Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 530-7590	584	35	16.6	86.1%	148 (25.3%)	104 (17.8%)	276 (47.3%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (7.9%)	20.5	696^th of 896 public middle schools	22.3%		20.7	687^th of 890 public middle schools	22.8%	9	43.1	12.2			24.0			18.9		19.1		30.3	$17,608	$842	$16,767
Wyoming Intermediate	Public	5-6	1331 33rd St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Wyoming Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 530-7540	579	35	16.7	86.5%	134 (23.1%)	112 (19.3%)	278 (48.0%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.4%)								(n/a)			21.4	14.9		12.1	15.5		22.3		13.6		$14,874	$1,000	$13,874

Frequently Asked Questions about Westwood Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Westwood Middle School?

Students at Westwood Middle School are 37% African American, 35% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 14% White.

Is Westwood Middle School a good school?

Westwood Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Michigan middle schools.

How many students attend Westwood Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 176 students attended Westwood Middle School.

What district is Westwood Middle School in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

What high school do graduates of Westwood Middle School attend?

Students who attend Westwood Middle School usually go on to attend City High Middle School

Rate Westwood Middle School!

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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.