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Public elementary school · Grand Rapids Public Schools · Grand Rapids, Michigan

Congress Elementary

Congress Elementary rates 8.5, among the strongest elementary schools in Grand Rapids Public Schools, where the rated median is 4.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.5this school

8.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Grand Rapids Public Schools median is 4.8.

#162 of 3,198 schools in Michigan · Grand Rapids Public Schools: 25 elementary schools rated, median 4.8

The brief

A Grand Rapids Public Schools elementary school where students score 18 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 162 of 3,198 schools in Michigan and 1 of 47 in Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Congress Elementary is listed in Grand Rapids Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math43%6 points above the Michigan average of 37%2022 EdFacts
Reading56%13 points above the Michigan average of 43%2022 EdFacts
Proficiency declined earlier in the 14-year record (2009–2022), then recovered 20 points since 2019, reaching 50% in 2022.2022 EdFacts; 34 test records from MI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.8
50% of the rating
Academics
8.8
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.3
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 36% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 48% (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 49506; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Congress Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$112,287
Median home value
$338,600
Median rent
$1,305/mo
College educated
67%
Homeownership
75.9%
Poverty rate
7.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 49506; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
96
Walker's Paradise
Transit Score
39
Some Transit
Bike Score
63
Bikeable
City reported crime
3,228/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Grand Rapids. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Grand Rapids), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
69.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Congress Elementarythis school
    8.5
  2. 7.8Compare →
  3. 7.2Compare →
  4. 6.7Compare →
  5. 6.4Compare →
  6. 4.7Compare →
  7. 4.5Compare →
  8. 3.8Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Congress Elementary among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Congress Elementary serve?

Congress Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Congress Elementary?

Congress Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 182 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Congress Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Congress Elementary is 15.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Congress Elementary rank in MI?

Congress Elementary ranks #162 of 3,198 schools in MI.

What is Congress Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Congress Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Congress Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Congress Elementary has 36% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 48% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Congress Elementary a charter school?

No, Congress Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Congress Elementary a Title I school?

No, Congress Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Congress Elementary?

69.2% of students at Congress Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
182
Student-teacher ratio
15.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
12
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Kent County
Rank in district
#1 of 47
Schools in district
51
District spending per student
$17,732
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
19.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 49506)
35,025
Area average commute
18.1 min
Area median age
33.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Michigan Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.