Enrollment
706
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Detroit, MI
Detroit Premier Academy
Federal NCES profile for Detroit Premier Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260030701943Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Detroit Premier Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #17 of 31
- elementary schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 91.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Detroit Premier Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Premier Academy ranks #17 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Premier Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260030701943 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Detroit Premier Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Detroit Premier Academy
Detroit Premier Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 706 students.
At 17.6:1, 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: 91.7% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 706 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 191 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #88.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 224 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 706 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Detroit's elementary schools, it stands alongside Voyageur Academy (789 students): Detroit Premier Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 25.5:1).
Detroit Premier Academy is a single-school charter district, so Detroit Premier 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 Premier Academy compares
Detroit Premier 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.7% | ▲ 69% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 706 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
706
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 59% in Michigan - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
77.2%
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
$11,786
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
25
in-school suspensions + 199 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.7 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 85.4%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
White 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 85.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, Detroit Premier Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Premier Academy, which includes Detroit Premier Academy.
$11,786
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.3%
State 78.4%
Federal 21.3%
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 (~706 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Detroit Premier Academy's federal record.
- Compare Detroit Premier Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Premier 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 Premier Academy
How many students attend Detroit Premier Academy?
Detroit Premier Academy has 706 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Detroit Premier Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Detroit Premier Academy is 17.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Detroit Premier Academy?
91.7% of students at Detroit Premier Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Detroit Premier Academy?
The largest demographic group at Detroit Premier Academy is African American at 85.4% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Detroit Premier Academy?
Detroit Premier Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Premier Academy rank among elementary schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Detroit Premier Academy ranks #17 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 Premier Academy a good school?
Detroit Premier Academy earns 20/100 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 Premier Academy?
None; Detroit Premier Academy is a single-school charter district, and Detroit Premier 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.