Enrollment
509
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260016301004 Charter school
Central Academy — Ann Arbor, MI
Federal NCES profile for Central Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 62/100.
👥 Class size 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 99
📋 Attendance 76
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Central Academy · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Central Academy reports 509 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 36.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 88.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 63% above the Michigan average and 70% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 5 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 9.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Central Academy spends $15,152 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 5.6% from local sources (property taxes), 66.1% from the state, and 28.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (C+), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▼ 19% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.3% | ▲ 63% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 75% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
88.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 63% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
— 19% below state mean
Top 26% in Michigan — lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$15,152
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors100.0 FTE
Per 5 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 509 Top 75% in Michigan — larger than 25% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 36.0
Students per teacher 14.7:1 -19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 88.3% +63% vs state
NCES ID 260016301004
Student demographics
White 72.1%
African American 12.6%
Asian 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Largest group: White at 72.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 100.0
Students per counselor 5:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 9.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Academy, which includes Central Academy.
$15,152
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 5.6%
State 66.1%
Federal 28.3%
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 Ann Arbor
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wines Elementary School
Standard public school
465 students 16:1 students per teacher
Haisley Elementary School
Standard public school
400 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Multicultural Academy
Standard public school
324 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
High Point School
Special-education school
51 students 4.2:1 students per teacher
Progress Park
Special-education school
20 students 4.3:1 students per teacher
Washtenaw County Youth Center Educational Programs
Alternative education program
16 students 5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Central Academy
How many students attend Central Academy?
Central Academy has 509 students enrolled. It is a other school in ANN ARBOR, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Academy is 14.7:1, which is 19% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Academy?
88.3% of students at Central Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Academy?
The largest demographic group at Central Academy is White at 72.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in ANN ARBOR, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Academy?
Central Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (C+) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.