Enrollment
600
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Grand Rapids, MI
West Michigan Aviation Academy
Federal NCES profile for West Michigan Aviation Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260097708183Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Michigan Aviation Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #5 of 8
- high schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 20.0%
- free-lunch eligible
West Michigan Aviation Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Michigan Aviation Academy ranks #5 of 8 high schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: West Michigan Aviation Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260097708183 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-7% 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
What stands out at West Michigan Aviation Academy
West Michigan Aviation Academy is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 600 students.
At 16.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.0% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 600 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 475 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #134.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding West Michigan Aviation Academy spends $9,767 per pupil, 28% below the Michigan average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Grand Rapids's high schools, it stands alongside Grand River Preparatory High School (635 students): West Michigan Aviation Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 21.2:1).
West Michigan Aviation Academy is a single-school charter district, so West Michigan Aviation 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 West Michigan Aviation Academy compares
West Michigan Aviation 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.0% | ▼ 63% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 600 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
600
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 44% in Michigan - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
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
$9,767
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 44.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.4, West Michigan Aviation Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Michigan Aviation Academy, which includes West Michigan Aviation Academy.
$9,767
Per student
-28%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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 21.2:1 students per teacher
Innovation Central High
Standard public school
386 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids
Alternative education program
218 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Nextech High School
Standard public school
144 students 24:1 students per teacher
Kenowa Hills Pathways High School
Alternative education program
99 students 33:1 students per teacher
54th Street Academy
Alternative education program
94 students 47:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~600 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Michigan Aviation Academy's federal record.
- Compare West Michigan Aviation Academy against another school. Compare schools
- West Michigan Aviation 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 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 16.2:1, which is 7% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 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% of enrollment, 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 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Michigan Aviation Academy rank among high schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, West Michigan Aviation Academy ranks #5 of 8 high 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 high schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is West Michigan Aviation Academy a good school?
West Michigan Aviation Academy earns 41/100 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 West Michigan Aviation Academy?
None; West Michigan Aviation Academy is a single-school charter district, and West Michigan Aviation 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.