Enrollment
509
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ann Arbor, MI
Central Academy
Federal NCES profile for Central Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260016301004Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 99
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Academy earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 8
- schools in Ann Arbor · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 88.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Academy has class sizes smaller than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Academy ranks #2 of 8 schools in Ann Arbor, MI.
School address
District: Central Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260016301004 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 17.5:1 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
What stands out at Central Academy
Central Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, enrolling 509 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 88.3% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 509 puts it in the larger 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 357 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 5 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 28.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ann Arbor's public schools, it stands alongside Washtenaw Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program (4 students): Central Academy is larger than that campus by headcount.
Central Academy is a single-school charter district, so Central 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 Central Academy compares
Central 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.3% | ▲ 63% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.3%
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 24% in Michigan - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,102
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat 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
- 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
White 72.1%
African American 12.6%
Asian 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Largest group: White at 72.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.8, Central Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Academy, which includes Central Academy.
$15,102
Per student
+12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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
1 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 (~509 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Academy's federal record.
- Compare Central Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Central Academy
How many students attend Central Academy?
Central Academy has 509 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ann Arbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Academy is 14.1:1, which is 19% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 10% 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 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% of enrollment, in Ann Arbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Academy?
Central Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Academy rank among schools in Ann Arbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Academy ranks #2 of 8 schools in Ann Arbor, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ann Arbor on the city page.
Is Central Academy a good school?
Central Academy earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of 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 Central Academy?
None; Central Academy is a single-school charter district, and Central 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.