The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Red Hawk Intermediate
Red Hawk Intermediate is a single-grade public school serving only eighth graders in Cedar Springs, Michigan, part of Cedar Springs Public Schools. Because it covers just one grade, it has no graduation rate, and its academic picture comes entirely from the state assessments given at that grade level. The school sits in a small city about twenty miles north of Grand Rapids, a place with a compact downtown along Main Street and a distinct identity rooted in its lumbering heritage and the long-running Red Flannel Festival.
On state assessments for the most recent school year, Red Hawk's results land in the top quartile relative to districts in Kent County when proficiency across tested subjects is averaged. English language arts is the clear standout. A large majority of eighth graders reached proficiency on the PSAT in ELA, a result well above what one typically sees in the county. Science proficiency was also solid, with a majority of students clearing the bar on the M-STEP. Math and social studies were softer. Fewer than half of tested students reached proficiency in math on the PSAT, and social studies proficiency on the M-STEP was similar. These two subjects are areas a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly math, where the gap between ELA and math performance is wide. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. Participation rate data was not reported.
The student body is small, as one would expect for a single-grade school. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is predominantly white, with a Hispanic enrollment that represents a meaningful share of the class and a small group identifying as two or more races. Asian and Black enrollment is minimal. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized.
Cedar Springs itself is a residential community with a stable if modest industrial base. Display Pack, a packaging manufacturer, and several precision tool-and-die companies anchor the local economy. The city covers only a couple of square miles, and Cedar Springs Public Schools operates on a centralized campus near downtown rather than scattering buildings across the district's wider territory, which encompasses the city and seven surrounding townships. The White Pine Trail, a long-distance rails-to-trails path, runs through town and brings recreational traffic, and Morley Park near Main Street serves as a civic anchor with the local historical museum. The Kent Theatre on Main Street hosts films, plays, and concerts. Indian Trails provides daily bus service connecting Cedar Springs to Grand Rapids and points north.
The housing market in the Cedar Springs ZIP code sits above the state benchmark for typical home values but below the national one. Kent County's broader market shows moderate year-over-year appreciation in listing prices, with homes moving at a pace that suggests a market that is active but not overheated. Affordability, measured as home price relative to income, is in line with national norms. Rental data was not available for the immediate area.
Information on discipline, course access, staffing, attendance, and Title I status was not available for this school. The district brief noted a multi-tiered system of supports as a current initiative and pointed to capital investment in recent years, but no specific program changes with clear parent impact were documented. Red Hawk Intermediate presents itself as a school with genuine academic strength in literacy and science, a narrower challenge in math, and a small-town setting that keeps the school close to the civic and recreational life of Cedar Springs.
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