Harrison Park Academy

Harrison Park Academy is a public PK-8 school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 708 students within the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, where 86% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Harrison Park Academy is facing significant challenges that parents should understand. The school's overall academic performance ranks in the bottom 5% of Michigan elementary schools, earning a 0-star rating. Test scores are critically low—for example, only 7.3% of 5th graders and 5.17% of 7th graders were proficient in English Language Arts in the most recent testing year, while just 6.3% of 6th graders were proficient in math. These numbers are far below both district and state averages. Perhaps the most striking issue is chronic absenteeism: 55.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2024-2025 school year, more than double the state average of 27.9%. This rate has remained above 50% for five consecutive years, making it very difficult for any school to make academic progress when over half the student body is regularly missing class.

For context, nearby CA Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary, just 2.8 miles away in the same district, ranks in the 81st percentile statewide with proficiency rates in the 50-60% range—demonstrating that strong outcomes are achievable in the same geographic area. There is a small positive trend: Harrison Park's ranking has improved from the 2nd to the 5th percentile over the past two years, and 8th graders showed a relative strength in Social Studies with 21.2% proficiency. The school also spends a substantial $17,876 per student, higher than the state average, yet this funding has not translated into better results. Parents considering this school should be aware of the significant attendance and academic challenges, while also noting that improvement efforts appear to be underway, albeit slowly.