Enrollment
206
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260023401204 Charter school
David Ellis Academy — Detroit, MI
Federal NCES profile for David Ellis Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 22/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
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: David Ellis 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)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How David Ellis 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
David Ellis Academy reports 206 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 25:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 37% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 57% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 87.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 61% above the Michigan average and 69% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 206 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 61.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding David Ellis Academy spends $17,333 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 1.9% from local sources (property taxes), 72.0% from the state, and 26.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F), 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 David Ellis 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 | 25:1 | ▲ 37% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.5% | ▲ 61% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 206 | top 25% | — | — |
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
87.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 61% 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
25:1
students per teacher
— 37% above state mean
Top 94% in Michigan — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
61.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,333
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 206 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 206 Top 25% in Michigan — larger than 75% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 25:1 +37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 87.5% +61% vs state
NCES ID 260023401204
Student demographics
African American 99.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 99.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 206:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 61.2%
In-school suspensions 10
Out-of-school suspensions 17
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for David Ellis Academy, which includes David Ellis Academy.
$17,333
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 1.9%
State 72.0%
Federal 26.2%
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 Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Detroit Edison Public School Academy
Standard public school
901 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
John R King Academic and Performing Arts Academy
Standard public school
879 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Academy of the Americas High School
Standard public school
874 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Detroit Service Learning Academy Campus
Standard public school
847 students 60.1:1 students per teacher
Ronald Brown Academy
Standard public school
834 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Bates Academy
Standard public school
773 students 18.9:1 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 David Ellis Academy
How many students attend David Ellis Academy?
David Ellis Academy has 206 students enrolled. It is a other school in DETROIT, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at David Ellis Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at David Ellis Academy is 25:1, which is 37% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at David Ellis Academy?
87.5% of students at David Ellis Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of David Ellis Academy?
The largest demographic group at David Ellis Academy is African American at 99.5%. The school serves a student body in DETROIT, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for David Ellis Academy?
David Ellis Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F) 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.