Enrollment
486
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Detroit Leadership Academy K8
Federal NCES profile for Detroit Leadership Academy K8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260097408187Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 earns 10/100 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.
- #23 of 25
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 96.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 has class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Leadership Academy K8 ranks #23 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Leadership Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260097408187 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Detroit Leadership Academy K8 compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Detroit Leadership Academy K8
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 486 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Michigan schools and 46% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 96.0% of students qualify for free meals, 77% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 486 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 244 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.0% 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.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Detroit Leadership Academy K8 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.6:1 vs 20.4:1).
Its district, Detroit Leadership Academy, also runs Detroit Leadership Academy High School (271 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 K8 compares
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.6:1 | ▲ 46% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.0% | ▲ 77% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 486 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
486
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 46% 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
72.0%
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
$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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 98.6%
Two or More 1.0%
White 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 98.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.8, Detroit Leadership Academy K8 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 K8.
$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 K8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Leadership Academy High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Detroit Leadership Academy K8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~486 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Detroit Leadership Academy K8's federal record.
- Compare Detroit Leadership Academy K8 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 K8
How many students attend Detroit Leadership Academy K8?
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 has 486 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Detroit Leadership Academy K8?
The student-teacher ratio at Detroit Leadership Academy K8 is 25.6:1, which is 46% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Detroit Leadership Academy K8?
96.0% of students at Detroit Leadership Academy K8 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Detroit Leadership Academy K8?
The largest demographic group at Detroit Leadership Academy K8 is African American at 98.6% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Detroit Leadership Academy K8?
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Detroit Leadership Academy K8 rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Leadership Academy K8 ranks #23 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 K8 a good school?
Detroit Leadership Academy K8 earns 10/100 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 Detroit Leadership Academy?
Besides Detroit Leadership Academy K8, Detroit Leadership Academy also operates Detroit Leadership Academy High School (271 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.