Burton Elementary

Burton Elementary is one of the medium-sized primary schools in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, overseen by Grand Rapids Public Schools, with 365 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 50 schools in Grand Rapids Public Schools (13,903 students total), Burton Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Burton Elementary reports that 84% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. Beyond that, the school shows 11% Black, 4% White. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 12%.

On the resource side, Burton Elementary logs 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.6:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 82% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Kent County (around 47%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Zooming out to the county, Kent County reports that the typical household earns roughly $82,631 per year, roughly 41% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Burton Elementary is one of 239 public schools in Kent County (combined enrollment of about 97,253 students).

Burton Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Burton Elementary.

The school occupies a high-density site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 23%: 475 students in 2018 compared to 365 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 15.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.