Central Kelloggsville Elementary

Central Kelloggsville Elementary in Grand Rapids, MI, serves 494 students in grades 3-5 and is part of the Kelloggsville Public Schools district, where over 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Academically, Central Kelloggsville faces significant challenges, with test scores well below state averages across all subjects. In the most recent school year, 5th-grade ELA proficiency was just 19.2%, compared to 62.1% at nearby Glenwood Elementary and 46.7% at Bowen Elementary in the Kentwood Public Schools district. This gap persists even though those schools serve a similar percentage of students from low-income households. One notable bright spot is 5th-grade science, where Central Kelloggsville's proficiency rate of 27.2% is competitive with—and in some cases higher than—nearby schools like North Godwin Elementary School (26.2%), Townline Elementary (19.6%), and New Branches Charter Academy (24.2%). However, math proficiency drops sharply by 5th grade, falling to just 9.6% compared to 21.6% in 3rd grade—a pattern that has persisted for several years.

The school's statewide ranking has declined significantly since the pandemic, dropping from the 31st percentile in 2011-2012 to the 5th percentile in 2021-2022, and it has only partially recovered to the mid-teens. Chronic absenteeism affects 24.4% of students, which is concerning but notably lower than the district-wide rate of 42.9%. Per-student spending at Central Kelloggsville ($15,591) is lower than at several comparable high-poverty schools, including West Godwin Elementary School ($21,374) and North Godwin Elementary School ($18,129). For parents, this suggests that while the school has some relative strengths, particularly in science, the overall academic picture and resource allocation are important factors to consider when evaluating educational options in this area.