New Branches Charter Academy

New Branches Charter Academy is one of the mid-tier primary schools in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, one of the schools within New Branches Charter Academy, with 345 students on its rolls from grades K through 8.

Operationally, New Branches Charter Academy answers to New Branches Charter Academy, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

On demographics, New Branches Charter Academy lists that the most-represented group is Black (51%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest looks like 26% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% multiracial, 4% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 10% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, New Branches Charter Academy has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.8:1, putting New Branches Charter Academy tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 89% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Kent County (around 47%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Kent County put the typical household earns roughly $82,631 per year, roughly 41% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. New Branches Charter Academy is one of 239 public schools in Kent County (combined enrollment of about 97,253 students).

The closest other public school is KenOSha Park Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area. New Branches Charter Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 6%: 366 students in 2018 compared to 345 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 15% to 10%. Class-load math has fell: from 20.7:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for New Branches Charter Academy typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.