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Gerald Dawkins Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-5

1189^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Gerald Dawkins Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 66 students in grades K-5 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school is part of the Gerald Dawkins Academy District, which is ranked 520 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Gerald Dawkins Academy struggles compared to the state and nearby schools. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 25% of 3rd graders and 33.3% of 4th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 38.9% and 42.4%. In math, the proficiency rates were even lower, with only 14.29% of 3rd and 4th graders meeting or exceeding standards, compared to the state averages of 42.7% and 39.4%. The school also has had consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 48.1% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Gerald Dawkins Academy to nearby schools, the differences are stark. For example, the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, a public charter school, had significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Math, with over 60% of students meeting or exceeding standards. Additionally, Gerald Dawkins Academy spends $30,193 per student, which is significantly higher than the nearby public schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, which spend around $18,000-$20,000 per student. This high spending does not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes for the students.

152

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,193

Per pupil spending ?

96.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1050 Fisk St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507-1413

(517) 281-8626

District: Gerald Dawkins Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.8%

Hispanic:

6.6%

Two or more races:

3.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Gerald Dawkins Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (21% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg21%

Michigan avg41%

1,189^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

520^th of 613Gerald Dawkins Academy among Michigan districts

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)

African American (2025)64th percentile+44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)17th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts29%-12 vs state

Math14%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gerald Dawkins Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)				M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th 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 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th 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
Gerald Dawkins Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	1050 Fisk St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Gerald Dawkins Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(517) 281-8626	152	13	11.6	96.7%	1 (0.7%)	135 (88.8%)	10 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	18.4	1189^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.1%					(n/a)			25.0	33.3				14.3	14.3							$30,193	$8,645	$21,547
River City Scholars Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	944 Evergreen St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	River City Scholars Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 248-3390	286	25	11.4	95.8%	12 (4.2%)	209 (73.1%)	21 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (14.3%)	21.4	1135^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.7%		15	1249^th of 1486 public elementary schools	15.9%	114	34.6		18.8	15.2	41.4	22.9	15.8	25.0	9.1	17.2	20.0	27.6	14.3	17.2	22.2	$22,373	$4,111	$18,262
Campus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	710 Benjamin Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2535	210	14	15.5	92.4%	16 (7.6%)	133 (63.3%)	44 (21.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.6%)	5.3	1462^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	1.7%					(n/a)				9.3	10.8				8.9							$19,206	$5,903	$13,303
Gerald R Ford Academic Center	Public	PK, KG-8	851 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2640	213	13	16.1	85.4%	2 (0.9%)	109 (51.2%)	95 (44.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	19.8	1164^th of 1488 public elementary schools	21.8%		27	1068^th of 1486 public elementary schools	28.1%	96	44.0	16.0	25.0	29.0	16.0	21.7		21.9	29.0			16.0	24.0		48.0	$18,840	$5,567	$13,272
Martin Luther King Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	645 Logan St SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2600	299	16	18.4	92.3%	14 (4.7%)	216 (72.2%)	51 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.0%)	8.2	1392^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	6.5%					(n/a)	46.2		12.5		18.4			12.5		10.5		7.7				$18,326	$5,891	$12,435
Dickinson Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	448 Dickinson St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2505	224	19	11.9	84.4%	5 (2.2%)	87 (38.8%)	114 (50.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.7%)								(n/a)						14.3										$20,224	$5,910	$14,314
Mulick Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1761 Rosewood Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2810	264	16	16.0	81.4%	31 (11.7%)	178 (67.4%)	41 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.9%)	13.6	1285^th of 1488 public elementary schools	13.6%		18.5	1191^st of 1486 public elementary schools	19.9%	94			13.2	7.9	31.0			13.2	7.9	14.0		25.0		14.3		$17,775	$5,372	$12,404
Congress Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	940 Baldwin St SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2201	237	11	20.9	62.9%	94 (39.7%)	67 (28.3%)	60 (25.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	54.4	656^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.9%		52.1	679^th of 1486 public elementary schools	54.3%	23			25.8	33.3	60.0			25.8	21.2	45.0		60.0		41.5		$18,001	$5,195	$12,806
Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	Public, Charter	K-5	409 Lafayette Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 459-0330	287	17	16.9	29.3%	190 (66.2%)	35 (12.2%)	38 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.7%)	90.6	113^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.4%		84.3	202^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	86.4%	89			68.0	66.7	70.7			66.0	58.7	61.0		68.3		53.7		$12,389	$1,096	$11,293
Wealthy School	Public	K-5	1961 Lake Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	East Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 235-7550	462	25	18.5	6.9%	384 (83.1%)	17 (3.7%)	19 (4.1%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.0%)	97.6	18^th of 1488 public elementary schools	98.8%		91.7	84^th of 1486 public elementary schools	94.3%	66			89.3	76.9	81.9			85.3	71.8	67.5		78.3		77.1		$12,716	$306	$12,410

Frequently Asked Questions about Gerald Dawkins Academy

How many students attend Gerald Dawkins Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 152 students attended Gerald Dawkins Academy.

What district is Gerald Dawkins Academy in?

Gerald Dawkins Academy

What is the racial makeup of Gerald Dawkins Academy?

Students at Gerald Dawkins Academy are 89% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Is Gerald Dawkins Academy a good school?

Gerald Dawkins Academy ranks in the bottom 20.1% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Gerald Dawkins Academy!

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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.