Enrollment
206
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
David Ellis Academy
Federal NCES profile for David Ellis Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260023401204Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
David Ellis Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #39 of 75
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 87.5%
- free-lunch eligible
David Ellis Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, David Ellis Academy ranks #39 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: David Ellis Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260023401204 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+47% 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
What stands out at David Ellis Academy
David Ellis Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 206 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.8:1 is larger than about 94% of Michigan schools and 47% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 87.5% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 206 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 261 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #187, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding David Ellis Academy spends $17,125 per pupil, 27% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 26.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): David Ellis Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.8:1 vs 20.4:1).
David Ellis Academy is a single-school charter district, so David Ellis 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 David Ellis Academy compares
David Ellis 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 | 25.8:1 | ▲ 47% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.5% | ▲ 61% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 206 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
206
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 94% in Michigan - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
61.2%
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
$17,125
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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
- 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
African American 99.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 99.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.0, David Ellis Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for David Ellis Academy, which includes David Ellis Academy.
$17,125
Per student
+27%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~206 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on David Ellis Academy's federal record.
- Compare David Ellis Academy against another school. Compare schools
- David Ellis 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 David Ellis Academy
How many students attend David Ellis Academy?
David Ellis Academy has 206 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at David Ellis Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at David Ellis Academy is 25.8:1, which is 47% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for David Ellis Academy?
David Ellis Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 David Ellis Academy rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, David Ellis Academy ranks #39 of 75 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 schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is David Ellis Academy a good school?
David Ellis Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. It is also less 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 David Ellis Academy?
None; David Ellis Academy is a single-school charter district, and David Ellis 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.