Enrollment
759
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Southgate, MI
Creative Montessori Academy
Federal NCES profile for Creative Montessori Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260027001445Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Creative Montessori Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Southgate · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 55.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Creative Montessori Academy has class sizes larger than 80% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Creative Montessori Academy ranks #5 of 6 schools in Southgate, MI.
School address
District: Creative Montessori Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260027001445 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Creative Montessori Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Creative Montessori Academy
Creative Montessori Academy is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in Southgate, Michigan, enrolling 759 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.7% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 90% of state schools at 759 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 314 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #245, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Creative Montessori Academy spends $9,945 per pupil, 26% below the Michigan average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Southgate's public schools, it stands alongside Beacon Day Treatment Center (115 students): Creative Montessori Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20:1 vs 5.5:1).
Creative Montessori Academy is a single-school charter district, so Creative Montessori 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 Creative Montessori Academy compares
Creative Montessori 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 14% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.7% | ▲ 3% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 759 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
759
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Michigan - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.8%
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
$9,945
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
34
in-school suspensions + 79 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 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 38.9%
African American 31.6%
Hispanic or Latino 22.4%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 38.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, Creative Montessori Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Creative Montessori Academy, which includes Creative Montessori Academy.
$9,945
Per student
-26%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 7.9%
State 73.6%
Federal 18.4%
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 Southgate
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 (~759 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Creative Montessori Academy's federal record.
- Compare Creative Montessori Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Creative Montessori 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 Creative Montessori Academy
How many students attend Creative Montessori Academy?
Creative Montessori Academy has 759 students enrolled. It is a public school in Southgate, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Creative Montessori Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Creative Montessori Academy is 20:1, which is 14% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Creative Montessori Academy?
55.7% of students at Creative Montessori Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Creative Montessori Academy?
The largest demographic group at Creative Montessori Academy is White at 38.9% of enrollment, in Southgate, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Creative Montessori Academy?
Creative Montessori Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Creative Montessori Academy rank among schools in Southgate?
By Resource Investment Index, Creative Montessori Academy ranks #5 of 6 schools in Southgate, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Southgate on the city page.
Is Creative Montessori Academy a good school?
Creative Montessori Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Michigan schools. It is also more 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 Creative Montessori Academy?
None; Creative Montessori Academy is a single-school charter district, and Creative Montessori 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.