Enrollment
600
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 260097708183 Charter school
West Michigan Aviation Academy — Grand Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for West Michigan Aviation Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 34
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 44
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: West Michigan Aviation Academy · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Michigan Aviation Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Michigan Aviation Academy reports 600 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 37.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 10% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 20.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 63% below the Michigan average and 61% below the national baseline. The school offers 11 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 300 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding West Michigan Aviation Academy spends $21,015 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 55.8% from local sources (property taxes), 41.8% from the state, and 2.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Michigan Aviation Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.0% | ▼ 63% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 600 | top 82% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
20.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 63% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
— 10% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan — lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,015
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 300 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 600 Top 82% in Michigan — larger than 18% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 37.0
Students per teacher 16.4:1 -10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 20.0% -63% vs state
NCES ID 260097708183
Student demographics
White 73.2%
African American 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Asian 4.0%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 11
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 300:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.3%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Michigan Aviation Academy, which includes West Michigan Aviation Academy.
$21,015
Per student
+33%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 55.8%
State 41.8%
Federal 2.4%
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 high schools in Grand Rapids
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Grand River Preparatory High School
Standard public school
635 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Innovation Central High
Standard public school
386 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids
Alternative education program
218 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Nextech High School
Standard public school
144 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Kenowa Hills Pathways High School
Alternative education program
99 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
54th Street Academy
Alternative education program
94 students 39:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Michigan Aviation Academy
How many students attend West Michigan Aviation Academy?
West Michigan Aviation Academy has 600 students enrolled. It is a high school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Michigan Aviation Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at West Michigan Aviation Academy is 16.4:1, which is 10% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Michigan Aviation Academy?
20.0% of students at West Michigan Aviation Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Michigan Aviation Academy?
The largest demographic group at West Michigan Aviation Academy is White at 73.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Michigan Aviation Academy?
West Michigan Aviation Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.