Enrollment
92
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Detroit, MI
Blackwell Institute
Federal NCES profile for Blackwell Institute, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260110301298
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackwell Institute earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 31
- elementary schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.1:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 88.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Blackwell Institute has class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blackwell Institute ranks #1 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110301298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackwell Institute compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackwell Institute
Blackwell Institute is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 92 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.1:1, Blackwell Institute is leaner than roughly 95% of Michigan schools and 59% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.7% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 92 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 96 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 92 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Detroit's elementary schools, it stands alongside Voyageur Academy (789 students): Blackwell Institute is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.1:1 vs 25.5:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Blackwell Institute.
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 Blackwell Institute compares
Blackwell Institute on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.1:1 | ▼ 59% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.7% | ▲ 63% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 92 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.1:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
92
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
7.1:1
students per teacher
- 59% below state mean
Top 5% in Michigan - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 92 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 96.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Largest group: African American at 96.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.4, Blackwell Institute is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Blackwell Institute.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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.
How Blackwell Institute Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackwell Institute's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
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 (~92 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackwell Institute's federal record.
- Compare Blackwell Institute against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community District'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 Blackwell Institute
How many students attend Blackwell Institute?
Blackwell Institute has 92 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackwell Institute?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackwell Institute is 7.1:1, which is 59% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 55% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blackwell Institute?
88.7% of students at Blackwell Institute are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blackwell Institute?
The largest demographic group at Blackwell Institute is African American at 96.7% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackwell Institute?
Blackwell Institute has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Blackwell Institute rank among elementary schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Blackwell Institute ranks #1 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 Blackwell Institute a good school?
Blackwell Institute earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Blackwell Institute, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community District district page for the complete list.
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.