Kent City Community Schools, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Kent City Community Schools

Kent City Community Schools is a small, rural-feeling district in northern Kent County, Michigan, serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across four buildings: Kent City Elementary, Kent City Middle School, Kent City High School, and Kent City Virtual Academy. The district sits among Kent County's districts, a large set of more than forty, and its academic results place it below the midpoint on overall proficiency. Spending per pupil sits in the middle to upper range of that county group, so the district is not under-resourced relative to its neighbors.

The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority making up nearly a quarter of enrollment. Other racial and ethnic groups are represented in very small numbers. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, nor does it share English-learner or special-education rates in the data available, so a parent wanting to understand the socioeconomic mix or the level of specialized support would need to ask the district directly.

On state assessments, the district shows a mixed and grade-dependent pattern. Elementary math results are moderate, with third and fifth grade landing in a middling range, while fourth grade sits a bit lower. Middle school math is the clear soft spot, with sixth and seventh grade proficiency dropping well below the elementary levels, though eighth grade recovers somewhat on the PSAT. English language arts follows a similar arc but with a striking outlier: eighth grade ELA proficiency jumps to a high level on the PSAT, a result that stands out sharply from the sixth and seventh grade M-STEP scores earlier in the same band. Science results in fifth and eighth grade are among the stronger scores the district posts, landing in a respectable range. Social studies is mixed, with fifth grade low and eighth grade stronger. A parent might want to look into what happens between fifth and seventh grade, where proficiency dips across both math and ELA, and whether the eighth-grade ELA surge reflects genuine growth or a difference in how the PSAT measures performance.

Chronic absenteeism sits just above the county midpoint, which places Kent City in a somewhat elevated position compared with neighboring districts. That is a figure worth watching, since regular attendance is closely tied to the proficiency dips the data shows in the middle grades. A parent may want to ask the district what attendance interventions are in place.

The district does not report a four-year graduation rate in the available data, and no comparison against county peers is possible on that measure. We looked for recent district-level changes such as referendums, curriculum overhauls, or property tax shifts and found little of lasting impact publicly reported, so there is nothing concrete to pass along on that front.

Housing in the district tells a practical story for families. The weighted typical home value across the district's zip codes sits above the state benchmark but below the national one, making it relatively affordable for the Grand Rapids metro fringe. Values have been climbing at a healthy annual clip, and the county market shows steady listing activity with homes moving in about a month's time. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home is moderate for the region, and the price-to-income ratio is within a workable range for many households. The district draws from several small communities including Kent City, Casnovia, Cedar Springs, and stretches toward Sparta and Ravenna, each with its own housing cost profile, but all remain well below national price levels.

What Kent City Community Schools offers is a small-scale, community-rooted pathway with consistent per-pupil funding and some bright spots in elementary science and eighth-grade ELA. The middle-grade proficiency dip is the most pressing academic question the data raises. For a family drawn to a smaller district with rural character and manageable housing costs, the right next step is to sit down with the middle school principal and ask directly about the transition years and what supports exist for students moving from fifth to seventh grade.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,240

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 24%

Black 0%

White 73%

Asian 0%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

25%

41%

Gr 4

37%

36%

Gr 5

28%

44%

Gr 6

11%

19%

Gr 7

14%

38%

Gr 8

64%

87%

Math

Gr 3

38%

44%

Gr 4

24%

46%

Gr 5

32%

47%

Gr 6

14%

28%

Gr 7

35%

Gr 8

22%

38%

Science

Gr 5

42%

47%

Gr 8

36%

50%

Social studies

Gr 5

21%

31%

Gr 8

34%

50%

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

Kent City Middle School

Kent City High School

Kent City Elementary School

Kent City Virtual Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

40%

Grade 3

31%

Grade 4

38%

Grade 5

20%

Grade 6

17%

Grade 7

29%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

30%

Grade 3

37%

Grade 4

34%

Grade 5

14%

Grade 6

22%

Grade 7

74%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

44%

Grade 5

42%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

25%

Grade 5

41%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$326,106

Year-over-year change+5.8%

Range across 8 ZIP codes$266K to $379K

vs. state typical1.24x

vs. national typical0.89x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (8 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
49330	Kent City	$332K	+5.6%	55.0%
49318	Casnovia	$311K	+6.4%	25.0%
49319	Cedar Springs	$347K	+5.5%	9.8%
49451	Ravenna	$299K	+4.8%	4.6%
49345	Sparta	$340K	+5.7%	3.2%
49303	Bailey	$283K	+5.3%	1.4%
49327	Grant	$266K	+6.1%	0.7%
49403	Conklin	$379K	+6.1%	0.2%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,646/mo

Home price / national median income3.9x

Market Activity: Kent County

Median listing price$399,900

Median listing price YoY+1.2%

Median price per sq ft$222

Median price per sq ft YoY+8.3%

Median days on market34.3 days

Median days on market YoY+12.3%

Active listings784

Active listings YoY-0.1%

New listings948

New listings YoY-2.9%

Pending listings927

Pending listings YoY+2.3%

Hotness: median listing price$389,925

Hotness: median listing price YoY+0.6%

Supply score89.4

Supply score YoY-2.2%

Demand score65.0

Demand score YoY+1.2%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

Comparison

State typical home value$263,590 (+4.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.