Enrollment
73
Combined
DISTRICT 84 · STATE 281
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LIGHTHOUSE ACADEMY·NCES 260094908355
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes
1501 CEDAR ST NE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503 · (616) 304-8537 · Kent County
GRADES KG–12COMBINED12-CITYCHARTERTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL73 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
7 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 8.9:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
70 students
DISTRICT 86% · STATE 55%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 3 | 4% |
| Grade 7 | 5 | 7% |
| Grade 8 | 11 | 15% |
| Grade 9 | 27 | 37% |
| Grade 10 | 22 | 30% |
| Grade 11 | 5 | 7% |
Student demographics
61%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · STATE 56% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
73
+25 (+52%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
was 9.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 73 | 7 | 10.5:1 | 96% (70) |
| 2023-24 | 80 | 6.7 | 12.0:1 | 96% (77) |
| 2022-23 | 80 | 6 | 13.4:1 | 96% (77) |
| 2020-21 | 48 | 5 | 9.6:1 | 94% (45) |
| 2017-18 | 65 | 6.1 | 10.7:1 | 100% (65) |
| 2015-16 | 53 | 5 | 10.6:1 | 94% (50) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Lighthouse Academy Waalkes.
Since 2017-18: students up 12% (65 to 73); teachers up 14% (6.1 to 7).
About Lighthouse Academy Waalkes
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is a small combined-grade school with its address in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan. Grades offered run from kindergarten through 12, with 73 students enrolled. The average among combined schools in Michigan is roughly 281 students; this school is 74% smaller than that.
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is one of the 9 schools that make up Lighthouse Academy (404 students in total).
Roughly 56% of students at Lighthouse Academy Waalkes are Black. The rest of enrollment is 23% White, 14% Hispanic, and 7% multiracial. Among all residents of Kent County, the Black share is about 10%. Pick two students at random and there is a 61% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
The count of teachers at Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is 7 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 10.5:1. That is lower than the 17.3:1 average for combined schools in Michigan. The school counts 70 students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or 96%. Across public schools in Kent County, the average is 47%.
Kent County has these Census figures: the median household income is $82,631, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 41% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. Kent County is home to 239 public schools and about 97,253 public school students.
The nearest public school is Lighthouse Academy The Pier, at about 0.4 miles. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
NCES describes the area around Lighthouse Academy Waalkes as City: Mid-size, meaning inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000. Lighthouse Academy Waalkes operates as a charter school, which is publicly funded and run under a charter.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, reported enrollment went from 48 to 73. Such a large difference may reflect a change in the grades served.
To ask about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Kent County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
663,150
Census ACS
Median income
$82,631
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
41%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
239
97,253 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Lighthouse Academy
- Lighthouse Academy South CampusCombined · 213 students
- Lighthouse Academy Eagle VillageCombined · 32 students
- Lighthouse AcademyMuskegon Community BuildingHigh · 19 students
- Lighthouse Academy Ottawa Juvenile Detention CenterCombined · 17 students
- Lighthouse AcademyBarry County Community BuildingHigh · 15 students
- Lighthouse Academy Juvenile Justice InstituteHigh · 14 students
Other schools in GRAND RAPIDS
- East Kentwood High SchoolHigh · 2,068 students
- Northern High SchoolHigh · 1,088 students
- PrepNet Virtual AcademyCombined · 1,080 students
- Northview High SchoolHigh · 1,078 students
- Central High SchoolHigh · 999 students
- City High Middle SchoolHigh · 955 students
Nearby schools
- Lighthouse Academy The Pier0.4 mi · 7
- Wellspring Preparatory High School0.6 mi · 267
- Bethany Based School0.9 mi · 12
- Kent Hills Elementary1.0 mi · 370
- Empower U1.0 mi · 188
- Home Education Site1.1 mi · 1
Frequently asked questions
About Lighthouse Academy WaalkesHow large is Lighthouse Academy Waalkes?
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes enrolls approximately 73 students in grades KG-12.
Is Lighthouse Academy Waalkes an elementary, middle, or high school?
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is a combined-grade school covering grades KG-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lighthouse Academy Waalkes?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is approximately 10.5:1 (7 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Lighthouse Academy Waalkes?
At Lighthouse Academy Waalkes, the student body is approximately 23% White, 14% Hispanic, 56% Black, 7% Two or more.
Is Lighthouse Academy Waalkes public or private?
Lighthouse Academy Waalkes is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by Lighthouse Academy.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.