UNIVERSITY ACADEMY operates 3 public schools serving 1,107 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Missouri. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 other, 1 middle, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,111 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Jackson County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,454 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 18.2% local, 56.2% state, and 25.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. The district's equity score — 76/100, ranked #37 of 433 in Missouri against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 268.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 8.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.1% African American, 3.2% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
University Academy-Lower accounts for 54.8% of all UNIVERSITY ACADEMY student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means UNIVERSITY ACADEMY-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY school enrollment ranges from 237 students (lowest) to 609 students (highest), a spread of 372 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY student-counselor ratio is 269:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within UNIVERSITY ACADEMY is typically wider than the UNIVERSITY ACADEMY-aggregate figure suggests.
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY chronic absenteeism rate is 8.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 middle, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,107 students.
How much does UNIVERSITY ACADEMY spend per student?
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY spends $16,454 per student. The district has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #37 in Missouri.
What is the average rent near UNIVERSITY ACADEMY?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Jackson County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of UNIVERSITY ACADEMY?
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY students are 94.1% African American, 3.2% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for UNIVERSITY ACADEMY?
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #37 out of 433 districts in Missouri. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.