Enrollment
271
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Detroit Leadership Academy High School
Federal NCES profile for Detroit Leadership Academy High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260097408496Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Detroit Leadership Academy High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #6 of 25
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 95.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Detroit Leadership Academy High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Leadership Academy High School ranks #6 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Leadership Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260097408496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Detroit Leadership Academy High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Detroit Leadership Academy High School
Detroit Leadership Academy High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 271 students.
At 16.9:1, 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: 95.2% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 271 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 256 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #100.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 271 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 84.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.5% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Detroit Leadership Academy High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 20.4:1).
Its district, Detroit Leadership Academy, also runs Detroit Leadership Academy K8 (486 students).
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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School compares
Detroit Leadership Academy High 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.2% | ▲ 75% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 271 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
271
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Michigan - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
84.1%
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
$12,353
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 271 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 94.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Two or More 1.5%
White 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 94.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.6, Detroit Leadership Academy High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Leadership Academy, which includes Detroit Leadership Academy High School.
$12,353
Per student
-9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.7%
State 68.7%
Federal 21.5%
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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Leadership Academy K8 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Detroit Leadership Academy High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
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 (~271 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Detroit Leadership Academy High School's federal record.
- Compare Detroit Leadership Academy High School against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Leadership 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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School
How many students attend Detroit Leadership Academy High School?
Detroit Leadership Academy High School has 271 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Detroit Leadership Academy High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Detroit Leadership Academy High School is 16.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School?
95.2% of students at Detroit Leadership Academy High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Detroit Leadership Academy High School?
The largest demographic group at Detroit Leadership Academy High School is African American at 94.5% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Detroit Leadership Academy High School?
Detroit Leadership Academy High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Leadership Academy High School ranks #6 of 25 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 Detroit Leadership Academy High School a good school?
Detroit Leadership Academy High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Detroit Leadership Academy?
Besides Detroit Leadership Academy High School, Detroit Leadership Academy also operates Detroit Leadership Academy K8 (486 students). See the Detroit Leadership 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.