Enrollment
719
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Detroit, MI
Detroit Merit Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Detroit Merit Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260027801484Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Detroit Merit Charter Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #19 of 31
- elementary schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- students per teacher
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Detroit Merit Charter Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Merit Charter Academy ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Merit Charter Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260027801484 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Detroit Merit Charter Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Detroit Merit Charter Academy
Detroit Merit Charter Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 719 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.2% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 719 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 217 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #121.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 252 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 719 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Detroit's elementary schools, it stands alongside Voyageur Academy (789 students): Detroit Merit Charter Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.4:1 vs 25.5:1).
Detroit Merit Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, so Detroit Merit Charter 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 Detroit Merit Charter Academy compares
Detroit Merit Charter 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 61% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 719 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
719
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Michigan - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
66.5%
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
$11,642
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
64
in-school suspensions + 188 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.0 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 90.0%
Two or More 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
White 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.4, Detroit Merit Charter Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Merit Charter Academy, which includes Detroit Merit Charter Academy.
$11,642
Per student
-14%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.5%
State 80.8%
Federal 18.7%
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 elementary schools in Detroit
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Voyageur Academy
Standard public school
789 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Legacy Charter Academy
Standard public school
738 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Regent Park Scholars Charter Academy
Standard public school
707 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Science and Math Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Elementary
Standard public school
389 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Fisher Magnet Upper Academy
Standard public school
378 students 18:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~719 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Detroit Merit Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Detroit Merit Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Merit Charter 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 Merit Charter Academy
How many students attend Detroit Merit Charter Academy?
Detroit Merit Charter Academy has 719 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Detroit Merit Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Detroit Merit Charter Academy is 18.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Detroit Merit Charter Academy?
87.2% of students at Detroit Merit Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Detroit Merit Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Detroit Merit Charter Academy is African American at 90.0% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Detroit Merit Charter Academy?
Detroit Merit Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Merit Charter Academy rank among elementary schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Merit Charter Academy ranks #19 of 31 elementary 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 elementary schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Detroit Merit Charter Academy a good school?
Detroit Merit Charter Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Merit Charter Academy?
None; Detroit Merit Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, and Detroit Merit Charter 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.