Enrollment
615
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Detroit, MI
Cesar Chavez Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cesar Chavez Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 260013901033Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cesar Chavez Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 88.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cesar Chavez Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Cesar Chavez Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260013901033 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cesar Chavez Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cesar Chavez Middle School
Cesar Chavez Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter middle school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 615 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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 615 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 280 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #129.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.6% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Detroit's middle schools, it stands alongside Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School (339 students): Cesar Chavez Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.1:1 vs 56.5:1).
Cesar Chavez Academy also operates Cesar Chavez High School (730 students) and Cesar Chavez Academy Intermediate (484 students) alongside Cesar Chavez Middle School.
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 Cesar Chavez Middle School compares
Cesar Chavez Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.9% | ▲ 64% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 615 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
615
Bigger than 74% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in Michigan - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
55.0%
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
$11,392
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
4
in-school suspensions + 87 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Hispanic or Latino 93.2%
African American 3.1%
White 2.9%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.0, Cesar Chavez Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cesar Chavez Academy, which includes Cesar Chavez Middle School.
$11,392
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.7%
State 69.7%
Federal 26.6%
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 Cesar Chavez Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cesar Chavez High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Academy Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Academy Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cesar Chavez Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools in Detroit
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~615 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cesar Chavez Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cesar Chavez Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cesar Chavez 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 Cesar Chavez Middle School
How many students attend Cesar Chavez Middle School?
Cesar Chavez Middle School has 615 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Middle School is 17.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 9% higher 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 Cesar Chavez Middle School?
88.9% of students at Cesar Chavez Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cesar Chavez Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cesar Chavez Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cesar Chavez Middle School?
Cesar Chavez Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Cesar Chavez Middle School rank among middle schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle 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 middle schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Cesar Chavez Middle School a good school?
Cesar Chavez Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Cesar Chavez Academy?
Besides Cesar Chavez Middle School, Cesar Chavez Academy also operates Cesar Chavez High School (730 students), Cesar Chavez Academy Intermediate (484 students), and Cesar Chavez Academy Elementary (465 students). See the Cesar Chavez Academy 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.