West Mi Academy of Environmental Science, Grand Rapids MI

Original Research by School Decision on West Mi Academy of Environmental Science

West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science sits on a 62-acre campus in Grand Rapids, offering a continuous pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade pathway organized around environmental education. It is a tuition-free public charter school, authorized by Central Michigan University and managed by Choice Schools. Its charter was renewed in 2021, giving families a measure of long-term stability. The school's environmental focus is not just a label applied to a standard curriculum. The campus itself is the organizing feature, with outdoor space supporting a science-oriented identity that runs through the grade levels.

The student body is modestly sized for a school spanning this many grades, which means cohorts are small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition leans majority white, with a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller Black population, plus a scattering of other backgrounds. This is a reasonably diverse school for the Grand Rapids area. The school does not report data on English learners or students with individualized education programs, so a parent whose child falls into either category would want to ask the school directly how those needs are met.

Academically, the most recent state assessment picture is mixed but tilts toward the positive side when looked at as a whole. The school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among districts in Kent County, which is a genuinely solid standing given the size of that cohort. The subject-level results tell a more textured story. Science is the school's clear strength, with proficiency rates well above the state midpoint in both tested grades. Social studies results are also strong. English language arts performance varies by grade: one elementary grade posted a high proficiency rate, while a middle school grade came in lower. Math shows the widest spread, with a strong third grade result followed by declines in the upper elementary and middle grades, bottoming out at a low level in eighth grade. This is a pattern a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly if a child is approaching the middle grades. The school does not report a four-year graduation rate, nor does it report chronic absenteeism figures, so those outcomes cannot be characterized here.

Grand Rapids provides the backdrop. It is Michigan's second-largest city and the economic engine of West Michigan, with a history rooted in furniture manufacturing that has evolved into a diversified economy built on healthcare, education, and technology. The Medical Mile corridor concentrates health-science institutions along the downtown riverfront, and employers like Corewell Health, Meijer, and Steelcase anchor the labor market. The city has a walkable downtown core with museums, breweries, and event venues, though walkability drops off in outer neighborhoods. The school sits on Leonard Street NW, in a more residential stretch of the city, which means families are choosing between a car-dependent campus setting and the urban amenities a short drive away.

Housing in the school's zip code runs above the state benchmark, with home values and rents both having climbed over the past year. The cost of owning a home here is meaningfully higher than the Michigan median, and rents have risen as well. Families considering this school from outside the neighborhood should factor that housing premium into their planning, since as a charter school it draws students regardless of attendance boundaries but families must handle their own housing and transportation.

What this school offers is a through-line from early childhood through high school graduation on one campus, with an environmental science identity that is reflected in its academic results. Science and social studies are where it shines. Math in the upper grades is where it has ground to make up. A family drawn to outdoor, place-based learning and a smaller school community will find a coherent program here. A family prioritizing consistently high math outcomes across all grades may want to ask harder questions before committing.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

70-79%Cohort of 39 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,027 schools plotted. 80 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

even with state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 11 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 40%

even with state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 51%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolWest MI Academy of Environmental Science, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income57%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income53%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income78%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income46%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income56%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income59%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income61%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income63%42 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income59%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income29%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income52%36 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income13%Higher-income27%14 pp gap