South Kent News

There were 102,353 students enrolled in Kent County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 0.5% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The county's data showed that kindergarten had the biggest classes with 8,402 students during the 2023-24 school year, while pre-kindergarten saw the smallest enrollment that year with just 3,715 students.

Countywide, Grand Rapids Public Schools welcomed the most students during the 2023-24 school year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the article are located in cities associated with Kent County.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

District	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% Change from Previous Year
Grand Rapids Public Schools	13,787	13,802	0.1
Kentwood Public Schools	9,368	9,430	0.7
Forest Hills Public Schools	9,208	9,072	-1.5
Rockford Public Schools	7,719	7,644	-1
Grandville Public Schools	5,521	5,476	-0.8
Caledonia Community Schools	4,613	4,628	0.3
Byron Center Public Schools	4,443	4,512	1.6
Wyoming Public Schools	3,916	3,835	-2.1
Kent ISD	3,531	3,754	6.3
Lowell Area Schools	3,498	3,436	-1.8
Northview Public Schools	3,061	3,139	2.5
Cedar Springs Public Schools	3,202	3,101	-3.2
Kenowa Hills Public Schools	3,010	2,947	-2.1
East Grand Rapids Public Schools	2,946	2,941	-0.2
Sparta Area Schools	2,433	2,413	-0.8
Kelloggsville Public Schools	2,272	2,233	-1.7
Godwin Heights Public Schools	2,026	1,993	-1.6
Comstock Park Public Schools	1,776	1,765	-0.6
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	1,650	1,738	5.3
Tri County Area Schools	1,719	1,685	-2
Kent City Community Schools	1,291	1,240	-4
PrepNet Virtual Academy	1,220	1,136	-6.9
Cross Creek Charter Academy	780	807	3.5
Vanguard Charter Academy	797	791	-0.8
Excel Charter Academy	784	783	-0.1
Chandler Woods Charter Academy	773	752	-2.7
Walker Charter Academy	698	718	2.9
West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science	728	669	-8.1
Vista Charter Academy	605	666	10.1
Grand River Preparatory High School	604	634	5
West Michigan Aviation Academy	605	608	0.5
Ridge Park Charter Academy	493	507	2.8
Knapp Charter Academy	576	430	-25.3
Lighthouse Academy	349	366	4.9
New Branches Charter Academy	358	359	0.3
Creative Technologies Academy	323	314	-2.8
Hope Academy of West Michigan	359	314	-12.5
River City Scholars Charter Academy	346	293	-15.3
William C. Abney Academy	347	292	-15.9
Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	287	285	-0.7
Wellspring Preparatory High School	307	284	-7.5
Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids	230	231	0.4
Byron Center Charter School	193	190	-1.6
NexTech High School	140	140	0