The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Burton Elementary
Burton Elementary sits on Buchanan Avenue SW in Grand Rapids, part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and its enrollment is moderate for an elementary building of its type. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of Black students and very small proportions of white, multiracial, and Asian students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school among the highest-poverty elementary settings in the area. The school does not carry a charter or magnet designation. Information on English learners and special education enrollment was not available in the data we received, and Title I status was not reported, so we leave those out rather than guess.
Academic results from the most recent Michigan state assessments show proficiency rates that are low across every tested subject and grade. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency was in the low teens for third and fourth grade and dropped further in fifth grade. English language arts results were stronger in fourth and fifth grade than in third, where proficiency was quite low. Science and social studies, both tested only in fifth grade, also showed low proficiency. When positioned against other districts in Kent County, Burton's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school directly about its instructional approach and what supports are in place for students working below grade level. Participation rates for the assessments were not reported, and no multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results are improving, holding steady, or declining over time.
Because Burton serves only elementary grades, it has no graduation rate, and that metric does not apply here. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance was not provided, so we cannot speak to those dimensions of school life. Program offerings were not listed in the data either, which means a parent would need to contact the school or district directly to learn about before- and after-school care, extracurriculars, bilingual services, or specialized interventions.
Grand Rapids itself is Michigan's second-largest city and the economic center of West Michigan. It carries a legacy as the "Furniture City" and has diversified into healthcare, education, manufacturing, and technology. The Grand Rapids Medical Mile, a corridor of health-science institutions along the downtown riverfront, has drawn major investment and continues to expand. The city is publicly reported to have channeled substantial resources into cancer and children's hospital facilities as well as the Van Andel Institute. Cultural life includes the annual ArtPrize competition, numerous craft breweries, and museums along the Grand River. Walkability is strongest downtown and tapers in the outer neighborhoods, where car dependence increases. Major employers include Corewell Health, Meijer, and Steelcase. The surrounding zip code's housing values sit below both state and national benchmarks, with rents that are also comparatively modest. Kent County's broader housing market shows a healthy supply of active listings and moderate price growth.
The Grand Rapids Public Schools district adopted a strategic plan covering a five-year span, developed through community input and built on a prior transformation plan that, according to the district, produced gains in graduation rates, attendance, and test scores. The current plan centers on restoring stability and growth across multiple initiative areas. How that plan translates into day-to-day changes at Burton specifically is not detailed in the available data, so a parent may want to ask school leadership about the connection.
What the picture suggests is a neighborhood elementary school serving a high-need, predominantly Hispanic student population in an affordable corner of a growing mid-sized city. State assessment results are a soft spot, and several dimensions of school life that parents often ask about, from staffing to programming to absenteeism, are gaps in the available data. A family considering Burton would benefit from a direct conversation with the school about how it supports students reading and doing math below grade level, what bilingual or intervention services exist, and how the district's strategic plan is taking shape in the building.
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