West Michigan Aviation Academy

West Michigan Aviation Academy, a medium-sized 9-12 campus in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, part of West Michigan Aviation Academy, teaches 600 students, covering grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 30% bigger than the state mean of about 460.

West Michigan Aviation Academy sits inside West Michigan Aviation Academy, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

On demographics, West Michigan Aviation Academy shows that 73% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder breaks down as 10% Black, 9% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 4% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the resource side, The school lists 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.9:1. The state averages around 21.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 19% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is south of Kent County's rate of about 47%.

In the surrounding community, Kent County reports that median household earnings sit near $82,631, roughly 41% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Kent County's 239 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,253 students), West Michigan Aviation Academy is one campus in the mix.

PrepNet Virtual Academy is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.9 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around West Michigan Aviation Academy.

The school occupies a residential site. West Michigan Aviation Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count stayed largely flat: 599 students in 2018 compared to 600 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 69% to 73% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 16.9:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.