Enrollment
329
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Detroit, MI
Barack Obama Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Barack Obama Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260017801047Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barack Obama Leadership Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #19 of 31
- elementary schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- students per teacher
- 96.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Barack Obama Leadership Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barack Obama Leadership Academy ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Barack Obama Leadership Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260017801047 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barack Obama Leadership Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barack Obama Leadership Academy
Barack Obama Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 329 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 96.4% of students qualify for free meals, 78% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 329 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 268 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #203, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Barack Obama Leadership Academy spends $16,883 per pupil, 25% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 33.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 53 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Detroit's elementary schools, it stands alongside Voyageur Academy (789 students): Barack Obama Leadership Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.3:1 vs 25.5:1).
Barack Obama Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, so Barack Obama Leadership Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Barack Obama Leadership Academy compares
Barack Obama Leadership Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.4% | ▲ 78% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Michigan - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
68.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,883
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 53 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 97.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 97.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.7, Barack Obama Leadership Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Barack Obama Leadership Academy, which includes Barack Obama Leadership Academy.
$16,883
Per student
+25%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 33.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar elementary schools in Detroit
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Voyageur Academy
Standard public school
789 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Legacy Charter Academy
Standard public school
738 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Regent Park Scholars Charter Academy
Standard public school
707 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Science and Math Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Elementary
Standard public school
389 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Fisher Magnet Upper Academy
Standard public school
378 students 18:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~329 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barack Obama Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Barack Obama Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Barack Obama Leadership Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Barack Obama Leadership Academy
How many students attend Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
Barack Obama Leadership Academy has 329 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Barack Obama Leadership Academy is 18.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
96.4% of students at Barack Obama Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Barack Obama Leadership Academy is African American at 97.6% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
Barack Obama Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barack Obama Leadership Academy rank among elementary schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Barack Obama Leadership Academy ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Barack Obama Leadership Academy a good school?
Barack Obama Leadership Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Barack Obama Leadership Academy?
None; Barack Obama Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, and Barack Obama Leadership Academy is its only campus.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.