The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Science. The lowest is 14% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Palmer School
Palmer School is a regular public elementary school in Grand Rapids Public Schools, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade on the city's northeast side. It sits on Palmer Street NE, in a neighborhood within Michigan's second-largest city, a place whose identity blends a furniture-manufacturing legacy with a modern economy anchored by healthcare, retail, and technology. The surrounding Grand Rapids metro area has seen steady population growth and heavy investment along the Medical Mile corridor, where Corewell Health, the Van Andel Institute, and university health-science facilities have drawn new activity downtown. The school's immediate zip code carries home values below the state and national benchmarks, with rents that remain relatively moderate for the region. Housing here is more accessible than in many neighboring Kent County communities, which may appeal to families weighing cost against school quality.
The student body is small for an elementary school spanning six grade levels. It is also notably diverse, with Black, Hispanic, and White students each making up roughly equal shares, alongside a smaller group of students identifying as two or more races and a very small Asian population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding neighborhood. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments for the 2024-25 school year, proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects were low. In math, third and fourth graders reached proficiency at rates well below what the state would consider strong, while fifth grade performed somewhat better but still modestly. English language arts followed a similar pattern, with third grade posting the lowest rate and fifth grade the highest. Fifth-grade science and social studies results were also low. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts across Kent County. These are the most recent results available, and the testing data does not include prior-year comparisons because the trend information was not comparable across years. A parent may want to ask the school directly how it is responding to these results and what supports are in place for students working below grade level.
Because Palmer serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer the career, dual-credit, or AP pathways that a secondary school might. Program offerings beyond the standard curriculum were not available in the data provided. Information on staffing, course access, discipline, attendance, and chronic absenteeism was also missing, so those dimensions cannot be assessed. Title I status was not reported, though the school's high poverty rate would typically make it eligible.
Grand Rapids Public Schools has publicly reported a 2022-2027 Strategic Plan built on community input, with goals around graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and test scores. How that plan translates into day-to-day changes at Palmer specifically is not visible in the available data. Parents considering this school would benefit from visiting, asking about academic interventions, and learning what enrichment or support programs operate beyond what is captured in state report cards.
Palmer is a small, diverse, high-poverty neighborhood elementary school in a growing urban area with relatively affordable housing. Its state test results are a clear soft spot, sitting in the lower range among Kent County peers. For families prioritizing affordability and a walkable urban setting, the location has appeal. For those weighing academic outcomes most heavily, the current proficiency numbers warrant a direct conversation with school leadership before deciding.
See more original research from School Decision →