Summary:
Zip code 49424 in Holland, Michigan is home to 8 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 8, with enrollments ranging from 267 to 561 students, and includes seven schools from the West Ottawa Public School District plus one independent charter school, Eagle Crest Charter Academy.
For parents, the standout choice is Lakewood Elementary School, which earns a 5-star rating and ranks in the 96th percentile statewide, with 84.4% proficiency in 4th grade ELA and 77.8% in math—nearly double the district average. Los Lagos Bilingual Academy is the most improved school, jumping from the 46th to the 91st percentile in one year, with 5th grade ELA proficiency more than doubling to 84%. Waukazoo Elementary School and Lakeshore Elementary School both sit in the 70th percentile, offering solid mid-range options. On the lower end, Woodside Elementary School (37th percentile), Great Lakes Elementary School (27th percentile), and Pine Creek Elementary School (18th percentile) struggle academically. Eagle Crest Charter Academy ranks in the 51st percentile overall but excels at the middle school level, with 81.1% proficiency on 8th grade PSAT ELA—well above state averages.
Key takeaways for families: chronic absenteeism is a strong warning sign, as schools with rates above 30% (Woodside, Pine Creek, Great Lakes) all rank in the bottom 40%, while Waukazoo (12.2%) and Lakewood (17.7%) are top performers. Higher per-student spending doesn't guarantee success—Pine Creek spends over $18,000 per student yet ranks lowest, while Eagle Crest spends the least ($13,886) but achieves strong middle school results. Student-teacher ratios also don't predict outcomes, as Woodside has the best ratio (11.4:1) but underperforms. Finally, many schools show declining test scores as grade levels increase, and science and social studies proficiency lags behind ELA and math across nearly all schools, suggesting a focus on early literacy and numeracy may come at the expense of other subjects.
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