The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Coit Creative Arts Academy
Coit Creative Arts Academy is a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade regular public school in the Creston neighborhood of Grand Rapids, serving families in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district. It sits on Coit Avenue near the heart of a city that functions as the economic and cultural anchor of West Michigan. Grand Rapids carries a legacy as the "Furniture City" and has evolved into a diversified urban center built around healthcare, education, manufacturing, and technology. The Grand River runs through downtown, and the surrounding neighborhoods give the school a distinctly urban residential setting rather than a suburban one.
The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band, and its student body reflects the diversity of the surrounding city. White students make up the largest single group, followed closely by Black students, with a substantial Hispanic population and a meaningful share of students identifying as two or more races. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic mix of the neighborhood. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those dimensions of the student population remain an open question a parent may want to raise directly with the school.
Academically, Coit's state assessment results from the most recent M-STEP cycle tell a mixed story. In English language arts, the school shows real strength in the early grades, with proficiency rates approaching or reaching the midpoint of tested students in third and fourth grade before dipping in fifth. Math follows a similar but more pronounced pattern, with third and fourth grade landing near the middle of the pack and fifth grade dropping off sharply. Science proficiency for fifth graders sits in a solid middle range, while social studies is the weakest tested subject. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint relative to districts in Kent County. The drop in fifth-grade math is the most striking soft spot in the data, and a parent weighing this school may want to look into how the school supports math instruction in the upper elementary grades and what intervention resources are available.
Because Coit serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism and participation rate data were not available in the provided records. The school does not carry charter or magnet status. No specific program offerings were included in the data, though the school's name points to a creative arts identity that a family would want to explore through a visit or conversation with staff to understand how the arts are woven into the instructional day.
Grand Rapids Public Schools operates under a strategic plan running through 2027, developed through extensive community input. The district has publicly reported that this plan builds on prior gains in graduation rates, chronic absenteeism reduction, and test scores, and it centers on restoring stability and growth across the system. For a parent at Coit, that district-level direction provides context for how the school fits into a broader improvement effort.
The housing market around Coit is relatively accessible compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit below the statewide figure and well below the national one, and rents are similarly affordable. The broader Kent County market shows steady demand, with homes moving at a moderate pace and listing prices holding firm. For families considering the neighborhood, this means a more attainable entry point into homeownership or renting in an urban setting with cultural amenities nearby, including museums, the Medical Mile corridor, and the annual ArtPrize competition that activates public spaces throughout the city. The trade-off is that outer neighborhoods in Grand Rapids tend to be more car-dependent than the walkable downtown core.
Coit fits a family looking for a small, diverse, urban elementary school with a creative arts orientation and a peer environment that mirrors the city itself. The academic picture is strongest in the early grades, and the fifth-grade results are worth probing. The surrounding neighborhood offers affordability and cultural richness, with the realities of urban public education that come with it.
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