Enrollment
678
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Southfield, MI
Bradford Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bradford Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260028401644Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bradford Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #4 of 12
- public schools in Southfield · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 88.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Bradford Academy has class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bradford Academy ranks #4 of 12 public schools in Southfield, MI.
School address
District: Bradford Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260028401644 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bradford Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bradford Academy
Bradford Academy is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Southfield, Michigan, enrolling 678 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Bradford Academy is leaner than roughly 89% of Michigan schools and 35% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.9% of students qualify for free meals, 64% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 678 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Southfield's public schools, it stands alongside Alice M Birney K8 School (452 students): Bradford Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 13.3:1).
Bradford Academy is a single-school charter district, so Bradford 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 Bradford Academy compares
Bradford 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 35% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.9% | ▲ 64% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 678 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
678
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 11% in Michigan - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
77.6%
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
$12,704
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 97.8%
Two or More 1.0%
Hispanic or Latino 0.7%
White 0.3%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 97.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.3, Bradford Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bradford Academy, which includes Bradford Academy.
$12,704
Per student
-6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.8%
State 69.3%
Federal 21.9%
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 other schools in Southfield
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~678 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bradford Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bradford Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Bradford 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 Bradford Academy
How many students attend Bradford Academy?
Bradford Academy has 678 students enrolled. It is a public school in Southfield, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bradford Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bradford Academy is 11.3:1, which is 35% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 28% 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 Bradford Academy?
88.9% of students at Bradford Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bradford Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bradford Academy is African American at 97.8% of enrollment, in Southfield, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bradford Academy?
Bradford Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Bradford Academy rank among public schools in Southfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Bradford Academy ranks #4 of 12 public schools in Southfield, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Southfield on the city page.
Is Bradford Academy a good school?
Bradford Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% 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 Bradford Academy?
None; Bradford Academy is a single-school charter district, and Bradford 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.