Highland Park Public School Academy System

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Highland Park, Michigan - 1 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Highland Park Public School Academy System #361 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,621 per pupil, Highland Park Public School Academy System ranks #486 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

280
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$13,621
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Highland Park Public School Academy System operates 1 public schools serving 280 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wayne County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,621 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 11.0% local, 70.9% state, and 18.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 49/100, ranked #361 of 702 in Michigan against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

and 77.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.6% African American, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Barber Elementary School, enrolling 362 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Barber Elementary School accounts for 100.0% of all Highland Park Public School Academy System student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Highland Park Public School Academy System a distant remainder — means Highland Park Public School Academy System-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Highland Park Public School Academy System reports 94.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Highland Park Public School Academy System chronic absenteeism rate is 77.1% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.0%
Federal
70.9%
State
11.0%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
361 / 702
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Highland Park Public School Academy System.

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 95.6%
Multiracial 1.9%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

77.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Highland Park Public School Academy System

School Enrollment
Barber Elementary School
Charter
362

How Highland Park Public School Academy System Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Will Carleton Charter School Academy Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Arbor Preparatory High School Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Rapid River Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Eaton Resa Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Walkerville Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Highland Park Public School Academy System's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Michigan

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Highland Park Public School Academy System

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Highland Park Public School Academy System?

Highland Park Public School Academy System has 1 school, including 1 combined. Total enrollment is 280 students.

How much does Highland Park Public School Academy System spend per student?

Highland Park Public School Academy System spends $13,621 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #361 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Highland Park Public School Academy System?

Highland Park Public School Academy System students are 95.6% African American, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Highland Park Public School Academy System?

Highland Park Public School Academy System has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #361 out of 702 districts in Michigan.