Summary:
Zip code 49330 is home to just one elementary school, Kent City Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 5 and enrolls 537 students within the Kent City Community Schools district.
For parents considering this area, Kent City Elementary School is a mid-performing school, ranked in the 46th percentile statewide with a 2-star rating. The most encouraging news is its steady upward trajectory—its state ranking has improved for three consecutive years, moving from the 40th to the 46th percentile. The school shows notable strengths in 4th-grade math (43.2% proficient vs. 39.4% statewide) and 5th-grade science (42.3% vs. 40% statewide) for the 2025-2026 school year. However, there are clear areas of concern, particularly 5th-grade English Language Arts (32.3% vs. 43.8% statewide) and 5th-grade social studies (18.6% vs. 27.5% statewide). Test scores also fluctuate significantly year to year, which may reflect different cohorts of students rather than a consistent trend.
One of the most impressive findings is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of just 17.5%, which is dramatically lower than both the district average (21.9%) and the state average (27.9%)—especially notable given that 65.74% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty population. This suggests strong student engagement and effective family outreach. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $19,268 per pupil, which is relatively high and likely reflects the additional support services needed for its high-needs population. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.7, class sizes are reasonable. While academic results are mixed, the combination of improving rankings, low absenteeism, and high per-student investment points to a school that is building a positive culture and making gradual progress, even if test scores haven't yet caught up across all subjects.
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