Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Rapids, MI

Ridge Park Charter Academy

Federal NCES profile for Ridge Park Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260020801135Charter school
0/100100/10022/100
👥 S:T ratio
37
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Ridge Park Charter Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.

#18 of 24
elementary schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
22
Resource Index · Lower
15.8:1
students per teacher
81.7%
free-lunch eligible

Ridge Park Charter Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Park Charter Academy ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+14 students YoY

Ridge Park Charter Academy held near 507 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+14 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 32.0 → 32.6 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+14 students YoY 260020801135 · Grand Rapids, MI Elementary · MID · CHARTER

507 enr · 15.8:1 · 81.7% lunch · RII 22

Nearest enrollment peer: Shades Cahaba Elementary School (507 students)

Ridge Park Charter Academy held near 507 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+14 headcount). Teacher FTE added 32.0 → 32.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Michigan schools → · Find another →

How Ridge Park Charter Academy compares

Ridge Park Charter Academy held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.8:1 ▼ 10% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 81.7% ▲ 50% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 507 top 25% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
81.7%
free-lunch eligible - 50% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher - 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Michigan - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,525
per pupil, district-wide - below Michigan avg of $15,012
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

African American 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
White 9.5%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 1.8%

Largest group: African American at 65.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 52.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 52.7, Ridge Park Charter Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

District finance for Ridge Park Charter Academy reports $14,525 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Similar elementary schools in Grand Rapids

1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Ridge Park Charter Academy

How many students attend Ridge Park Charter Academy?

Ridge Park Charter Academy has 507 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI. CCD year-over-year: 493 (2022-23) → 507 (2023-24), nearly flat (+14).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridge Park Charter Academy?

The student-teacher ratio at Ridge Park Charter Academy is 15.8:1, which is 10% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ridge Park Charter Academy?

81.7% of students at Ridge Park Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridge Park Charter Academy?

The largest demographic group at Ridge Park Charter Academy is African American at 65.9% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.7/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridge Park Charter Academy?

Ridge Park Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Ridge Park Charter Academy rank among elementary schools in Grand Rapids?

By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Park Charter Academy ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.

What other schools are in Ridge Park Charter Academy?

None; Ridge Park Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, and Ridge Park Charter Academy is its only campus.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved