Innovation Central High

Innovation Central High is a public high school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 386 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district.

Innovation Central is a school showing real signs of progress, even as it tackles significant challenges. The school has climbed from the 7th to the 22nd percentile in state rankings over the past three years, and science proficiency has jumped from 8.8% to 22.7% in just two years. Reading and writing scores on the SAT have also improved dramatically, from 15.7% to 30.9% proficiency. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1 and spends more per student ($23,713) than many nearby schools. Historically, graduation rates have been a bright spot, consistently hovering between 82% and 90%—often beating district and state averages. However, the most recent data shows the graduation rate has slipped to 82.6%, now below the state average for the first time in recent years.

The biggest hurdle facing Innovation Central is chronic absenteeism. At 59.4%, nearly 6 in 10 students are chronically absent—more than double the state average of 27.9%. This likely impacts academic proficiency, which remains low in core subjects. For example, only 8.8% of 10th graders are proficient in math on the PSAT, compared to 20.4% district-wide. When compared to Grand Rapids Montessori MiddleHigh—which shares the same address but serves a similar population—the contrast is stark. Montessori achieves a 95.8% graduation rate and 59.1% SAT reading proficiency, more than double Innovation Central's rate. Similarly, Grand Rapids Public Museum High spends less per student yet achieves significantly better outcomes. On a positive note, African American students and English Language Learners at Innovation Central perform relatively well compared to their peers statewide, ranking in the 32nd percentile (2 stars). The school's improving trajectory suggests recent reforms may be taking hold, but addressing chronic absenteeism will be key to sustaining this momentum.