Jenison Innovation Academy, Jenison MI

Original Research by School Decision on Jenison Innovation Academy

Jenison Innovation Academy is a small public school serving grades six through twelve, part of Jenison Public Schools in Ottawa County. With an enrollment of roughly one hundred fifty students across seven grade levels, it is a compact setting where grade cohorts are intimate. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a relatively modest share. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those population details are not available here.

On state assessments, the school presents a mixed academic picture. In math, proficiency across the middle grades lands in a moderate range, with seventh and eighth grade scoring somewhat higher than sixth grade. English language arts tells a stronger story, particularly in eighth grade, where proficiency was reported in a high range. Eighth-grade science and social studies results were also strong, with most tested students reaching proficiency. When the school's results across all tested subjects and grades are combined and compared against districts in Ottawa County, Jenison Innovation Academy sits below the midpoint of that group. Ottawa County is a relatively high-performing county academically, so that positioning reflects a school that is holding its own in some subjects while trailing in others relative to a competitive peer set. A parent may want to look into the math results further with the school, particularly at the sixth-grade level, where proficiency was lowest.

No graduation rate was available for this school, and no chronic absenteeism data was reported. Because the school serves high school grades, a graduation rate would normally be expected, so its absence here is worth noting. We also did not find course access data, staffing figures, discipline information, or attendance records. Trend data comparing this year's results to prior years was not available either, so there is no way to characterize whether performance is improving, declining, or holding steady over time.

Jenison itself is an unincorporated community and census-designated place within Georgetown Charter Township, functioning as a bedroom community near Grand Rapids. Publicly reported sources describe it as predominantly residential, with a car-dependent suburban layout organized around arterial roads like Chicago Drive and Baldwin Street, with interstate highway access nearby. The community originated as a lumber settlement along the Grand River and has since transitioned to suburban residential. Civic and recreational anchors include Grand Ravines North and South and Steamboat Park on the river. The area has no municipal government of its own; administration is handled at the township level. Population has been relatively stable over the past two decades, with only modest fluctuations. No major new housing developments or development projects were identified in the research.

The housing market in the Jenison ZIP code is moderate relative to national figures, with typical home values near the national benchmark and above the state level. Rents are modest, and renting is somewhat more affordable month-to-month than carrying a mortgage at current rates, though the price-to-income ratio sits above what many households would consider easy. The area's median household income is solidly middle class. For families considering the area, housing costs are manageable but not inexpensive, and the community's commuter orientation means a car is effectively a necessity.

Jenison Innovation Academy fits families looking for a small-school environment within a stable suburban community near Grand Rapids. The strong eighth-grade results in English, science, and social studies suggest the school can produce solid academic outcomes in certain subjects. The math results and the absence of graduation and trend data are the main gaps a prospective parent would want to explore directly with the school before making a decision.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 51 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,027 schools plotted. 80 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 60% · ▼ 32 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 52% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 61% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 64% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 60% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 62% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 68% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolJenison Public Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.