The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary
CA Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary is a regular public school in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade on the city's northwest side. As its name suggests, the school carries an environmental science focus, which gives the academic program a thematic identity within a traditional public school structure. It is neither a charter nor a magnet school, and families choosing it are selecting a themed elementary pathway within the district rather than a specialized application program.
The school's state assessment results from the most recent year show a solid academic picture, particularly in English language arts. Third and fourth graders demonstrated proficiency rates approaching or exceeding the halfway mark, with fourth grade standing out as the strongest year for reading performance. Fifth grade reading held steady at a similar level. Math results were more mixed: third and fourth grade landed close to the midpoint, while fifth grade math dropped off noticeably. Fifth grade science performance was a bright spot, matching the school's reading levels and aligning well with the environmental science theme. Social studies was the weakest tested subject, with fewer than half of fifth graders reaching proficiency. A parent looking at the fifth grade math and social studies results may want to ask the school how it supports students in those areas as they prepare for middle school. When placed against other districts in Kent County, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint, which is a reasonably strong standing for an urban elementary school.
The enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, with fairly even distribution across the grade levels. A little over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects a working-class to middle-income student population rather than a deeply concentrated poverty setting. The racial and ethnic mix is predominantly white, with Hispanic and Black students forming the next largest groups and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. The school reports a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students and no Asian or Pacific Islander students. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so families for whom those services are central should contact the school directly to understand what is offered.
Grand Rapids itself is Michigan's second-largest city and the economic anchor of West Michigan. It carries a legacy as the Furniture City, but its modern economy runs on healthcare, education, manufacturing, and technology. The Medical Mile corridor, anchored by Corewell Health and a cluster of research and educational institutions, represents major ongoing investment in the city. Downtown is walkable and active, with museums, breweries, Van Andel Arena, and the Grand River running through the center. Outer neighborhoods, where the school sits, tend to be more car-dependent. The city hosts ArtPrize annually and carries the Beer City USA identity, giving the area a cultural life that punches above its weight for a mid-sized Midwestern city.
Housing near the school is relatively affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values in the surrounding zip code sit below the state midpoint, and rents are modest. The Kent County market as a whole shows a median listing price well above the school's immediate area, which means the neighborhood offers a comparatively accessible entry point for families looking to buy, though mortgage rates remain elevated. Homes move at a moderate pace, and supply has been fairly steady.
At the district level, Grand Rapids Public Schools is operating under a strategic plan running through 2027, developed through community input and building on a prior transformation effort that reportedly improved graduation rates, reduced chronic absenteeism, and raised test scores. The plan organizes district priorities around six outcome areas. For a family at CA Frost, this means the school sits within a district actively working on stability and growth rather than one in a holding pattern.
Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism figures were not available for this building. Discipline, staffing, attendance, and specific program offerings beyond the environmental science theme were also not in the available data, so those are gaps a parent would need to fill by visiting or calling the school. What the data does show is an elementary school with a clear academic identity, above-midpoint proficiency for its county context, a diverse but majority-white student body, and a setting in an affordable corner of a city with genuine cultural and economic momentum.
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