Brookside Elementary

Brookside Elementary, an intimate elementary-level community in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, overseen by Grand Rapids Public Schools, teaches 254 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 369 students per school, that is 31% smaller than typical.

Brookside Elementary is one of 50 schools operated by Grand Rapids Public Schools, a district that instructs 13,903 students overall.

Demographically, Brookside Elementary lists that the most-represented group is Black (40%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 28% Hispanic, 21% White, 10% multiracial. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 10%.

Looking at school resources, Brookside Elementary logs 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.6:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 15.8:1 average. About 75% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Kent County (around 47%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

In the area at large, census data for Kent County shows the typical household earns roughly $82,631 per year, about 41% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Brookside Elementary is one of 239 public schools in Kent County (combined enrollment of about 97,253 students).

The closest other public school is Alger Middle School, roughly 0.7 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Brookside Elementary operates from a city-core location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 6%: 270 students in 2018 compared to 254 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment declined from 59% to 40% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.