685 Fairfield Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

as a former Blandford school student, my experience was amazing. the only way to fully understand the greatness of this program is to experience it. the teachers push you to your limits and beyond. blandford is the place that I met my 5 best friends, and we are still as close as ever. the way they slip nature into the daily learning is simply amazing. I love when we went into the woods and learned about everything around us. sometimes we would even go out there to have a conversation about math! the teachers create a friendly environment for the kids, while making it easy for us to respect them. I loved every minute of it, even when I was struggling a bit. I hope that this post may convince you to let your child go on to what I thought of as the best experience of my life.

The metrics on this school are not as straightforward. As I imagine is the case for many schools that are on this website. In regards to the large gap between test scores and progress, students have a test score requirement to apply. As for progress, our personal experience saw exceptional progress, though not necessarily in test scores. Our student learned how to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines, work with a team, and how to study independently. Also, the metric on teacher to student ratio is off. There are two teachers that teach 2 subjects each and they work with half of the students at a time. The students rotate classrooms. Please do not take these scores at face value. There is so much learning and progress happening at John Ball Park Zoo School. Reach out to the school, or a parent or even a former Zooie themselves. Highly recommend this program.

My children go to Shawmut and we attend as a school of choice! The teachers are amazing and the principal too! The amount of care and concern with academics is amazing. This year my children tapped maple trees and learned how to take sap and make it into maple syrup! There is an edible garden where my kids plant and harvest vegetables, outdoor learning areas, monarch way-stations, and so much more! Shawmut is a hidden gem of GRPS! The PTA is extremely involved and they have so many ways for parents to be directly involved with learning. I highly recommend Shawmut! If you live in the area you should really stop by and take a tour - that’s what I did and I am so glad we made Shawmut our choice!

Cultural and linguistic diversity at this school is an asset that will prepare students for communicating effectively with many different people throughout their lifetimes!

Abandon hope all ye who enter here. The only school that I refuse to work in as a sub. It's simply awful and there are absolutely not redeeming qualities. If you think I am being too harsh, I dare you to take an assignment at this school.

They care about your grades rather than your mental health. I was in the worst place of my life, I failed on a test, and I explained this to my teacher, that I had too much homework every day and that I have a disability to concentrate, and after all of that, she just simply said, “Well, welcome to city.” No retakes, help in the future, nothing. And that’s one of my teachers. Save yourself your mental health, and don’t go to this school. This was made February 4, 2023, sophomore. Two years at city.

This school is amazing and helps us a lot.

This is a former school of mine. I went here two years ago while it was at the old location and I am in 8th grade now. Great school.

sense the moment i arrived here it has been nothing but constant behavioral issues for the other students. they hit and cuss at the teachers. and nothing happens to these students. the materials we are sought to use are old and writen on scrolled with gang signs . i will not be returning here ext year kids here , are the worst kind , they never stop spreding rumors. kids smoke in the bathrooms its truely terrible.