Welcome to Blandford School (6)
Welcome and thank you for choosing GRPS and Blandford School. It is my honor and privilege to serve as the Principal of Blandford. Our staff is dedicated to helping each child reach their fullest potential and become independent, self-driven learners. We are fortunate to have Blandford Nature Center in our backyard which invites our scholars and staff to explore learning and use nature as their classroom.
If you are interested in learning more about the rigor and zeal of Blandford School, please contact us directly at 616-819-2555. We'd be happy to show you around the school!
Principal
Karla Finn

Blandford School
School Hours
Breakfast 7:50 a.m.
Start Time 8:10 a.m.
Dismissal 3:06 p.m.
Half Day Dismissal 11:20 a.m.
School Transparency
At Blandford, nature is your classroom!
Blandford is a 6th grade program that offers outdoor learning experiences and a rigorous curriculum. The school is designed to heighten an awareness of the environment, stimulate creative thinking, develop leadership, promote intellectual growth, and increase self-esteem. Our Blandford staff is committed to fostering your child's potential to learn and achieve through a learning environment that values hands-on, project-based learning experiences. Scholars are provided with exciting challenges and opportunities for a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience that focuses on nature and the great outdoors.
The Blandford "classroom" consists of over 100 acres of ponds, streams, woods, and fields along with a more traditional classroom that supports the outdoor theme. Attracting students from public and non-public schools throughout Grand Rapids, as well as a handful of students from nearby cities, the student body at Blandford is a heterogeneous mixture of ethnic, economic, and social backgrounds.
While we have too many special projects and programs to name them all, a few highlights include:
- chicken adoption
- International Night dinner
- performance of A Christmas Carol
- fall and spring camp
- Wildflower Tea
- BEEP Bizarre
We have incorporated distance learning for years and are poised to be a leader in the district as a blended model of new technologies and old practices, giving our students the best of both worlds. Our 1-to-1 student technology device approach ensures that every student has the opportunity to learn inside and outside the classroom.
Blandford School is located in a state of the art, LEED certified facility on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids. This building, along with Blandford Nature Center’s 143 acres of ponds, streams, woods, and fields, offers students an unparalleled learning environment. Scholars will enjoy their collaborative learning experience by sharing two classrooms and a large meeting space both indoors and outside in nature.
Blandford School Photo Tour
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5 Dec
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Reimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback Session 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMReimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback SessionDate: Dec 5Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMLocation: Ottawa Hills High School, 2055 Rosewood Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USACalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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6 Dec
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Reimagine GRPS with Us! Community Feedback Session (Virtual) 12:30 PM to 2:00 PMReimagine GRPS with Us! Community Feedback Session (Virtual)Date: Dec 6Time: 12:30 PM to 2:00 PMCalendar: GRPS District CalendarJoin at live.grps.org
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Reimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback Session 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMReimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback SessionDate: Dec 6Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMLocation: Burton Elementary, 2133 Buchanan Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49507, USACalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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7 Dec
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Reimagine GRPS with Us! Community Feedback Session 1:30 PM to 3:00 PMReimagine GRPS with Us! Community Feedback SessionDate: Dec 7Time: 1:30 PM to 3:00 PMLocation: Grand Rapids Public School, 1331 M.L.K. Jr St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USACalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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Reimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback Session 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMReimagine GRPS with Us! Community & Scholar Feedback SessionDate: Dec 7Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMLocation: Union High School, 1800 Tremont Blvd NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USACalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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9 Dec
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Ottawa Hills City Sprints Swim InvitationalDate: Dec 9Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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12 Dec
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GRPS Parent Action Leaders (PALs) Meeting 9:30 AM to 11:00 AMGRPS Parent Action Leaders (PALs) MeetingDate: Dec 12Time: 9:30 AM to 11:00 AMCalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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GRPS Parent Action Leaders (PALs) Meeting 5:30 PM to 7:00 PMGRPS Parent Action Leaders (PALs) MeetingDate: Dec 12Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PMCalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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12 Decthru Dec 14
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St. Cecilia - Christmas CarolDate: Dec 12 - Dec 14Calendar: Blandford Calendar
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18 Dec
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No LOOP ProgrammingDate: Dec 18Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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A quintet of GRPS students from Harrison Park Academy and CA Frost Environmental Science Academy participated in the Middle School Honor Band at Western Michigan University in mid-November.

This week’s ‘Reimagine’ vlog focuses on the intense community engagement efforts underway ahead of the Board vote in December.

Grand Rapids Public Schools leaders have shared recommended changes to the Board of Education regarding the use of the school district’s buildings in the years to come and the use of the $305 million bond overwhelmingly passed by voters in the November election.