How many students were enrolled in Kent County Grand Rapids Public Schools in 2024-25 school year?

Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | https://radio.wcmu.org/

By South Kent News

Apr 28, 2025

Grand Rapids Public Schools had the highest enrollment among Kent County districts, welcoming 13,692 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 51.2% of them were boys, and 48.8% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Grand Rapids Public Schools students was Hispanic, accounting for 39.3% of the student population.

Among the 45 districts in Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 9,639 students, while Forest Hills Public Schools welcomed 8,852 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Grand Rapids Public Schools roughly covers schools within Kent County, with its main office in Grand Rapids.

In the previous school year, Grand Rapids Public Schools also had the highest number of students among Kent County schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,427,386 students enrolled in Michigan schools, a figure 4.8% below the pre-pandemic total of 1,499,552 in 2019-20, with white students seeing the largest decline of approximately 3%.

Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.

Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.

The 2025 education budget, approved by Gov. Whitmer last July, totals $23.4 billion—$900 million less than the previous year’s budget. K-12 schools are working with $20.6 billion, a reduction from the $21.5 billion allocated in 2024.

However, some school superintendents and educators were concerned about the new budget. "Schools cannot function properly without adequate funding for safety and mental health," stated Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, referring to a significant cut of around $301 million from school safety and mental health programs. Based on the current bill, the program will receive just $26.5 million.

Enrollment in Kent County Over 10 Years

Enrollment in Kent County Districts During 2024-25 School Year

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Grand Rapids Public Schools	Grand Rapids	13,692
Kentwood Public Schools	Grand Rapids	9,639
Forest Hills Public Schools	Grand Rapids	8,852
Rockford Public Schools	Rockford	7,509
Grandville Public Schools	Grandville	5,547
Caledonia Community Schools	Caledonia	4,598
Byron Center Public Schools	Byron Center	4,572
Kent ISD	Grand Rapids	4,196
Wyoming Public Schools	Wyoming	3,832
Lowell Area Schools	Lowell	3,470
Northview Public Schools	Grand Rapids	3,173
Cedar Springs Public Schools	Cedar Springs	3,011
East Grand Rapids Public Schools	Grand Rapids	2,992
Kenowa Hills Public Schools	Grand Rapids	2,947
Sparta Area Schools	Sparta	2,371
Kelloggsville Public Schools	Grand Rapids	2,211
Godwin Heights Public Schools	Grand Rapids	1,954
Comstock Park Public Schools	Comstock Park	1,778
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	Wyoming	1,661
Tri County Area Schools	Sand Lake	1,643
Kent City Community Schools	Kent City	1,242
PrepNet Virtual Academy	Grand Rapids	1,080
Cross Creek Charter Academy	Byron Center	809
Excel Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	791
Vanguard Charter Academy	Wyoming	765
Chandler Woods Charter Academy	Belmont	741
Walker Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	711
West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science	Grand Rapids	666
Vista Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	641
Grand River Preparatory High School	Kentwood	635
West Michigan Aviation Academy	Grand Rapids	600
Ridge Park Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	507
Lighthouse Academy	Grand Rapids	405
Knapp Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	398
New Branches Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	345
Creative Technologies Academy	Cedar Springs	302
Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center	Grand Rapids	287
River City Scholars Charter Academy	Grand Rapids	286
Hope Academy of West Michigan	Grand Rapids	284
William C. Abney Academy	Grand Rapids	273
Wellspring Preparatory High School	Grand Rapids	267
Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids	Grand Rapids	226
Byron Center Charter School	Byron Center	199
Gerald Dawkins Academy	--	152
NexTech High School	Grand Rapids	144