Enrollment
507
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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.
School address
District: Ridge Park Charter Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260020801135 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridge Park Charter Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridge Park Charter Academy
Ridge Park Charter Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 507 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 507 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 411 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #194.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside River City Scholars Charter Academy (286 students): Ridge Park Charter Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 10.2:1).
Ridge Park Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, so Ridge Park Charter Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ridge Park Charter Academy compares
Ridge Park Charter Academy on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$13,764
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
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.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ridge Park Charter Academy, which includes Ridge Park Charter Academy.
$13,764
Per student
+2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.7%
State 68.2%
Federal 18.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar elementary schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~507 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridge Park Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Ridge Park Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Ridge Park Charter Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
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.
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, attendance rates. 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.
Is Ridge Park Charter Academy a good school?
Ridge Park Charter Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
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.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.