Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy

Federal NCES profile for Fisher Magnet Lower Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260110301611
0/100100/10038/100
👥 S:T ratio
46
🌟 Gifted program
30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Michigan schools.

#6 of 75
schools in Detroit · Resource Index
38
Resource Index · Typical
13.4:1
small classes for Michigan
91.4%
free-lunch eligible

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy has class sizes smaller than 81% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Fisher Magnet Lower Academy ranks #6 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI.

Enrollment

456

Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

34.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.4:1

vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg

-23% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

91.4%

vs 54.3% Michigan avg

+68% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Fisher Magnet Lower Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Fisher Magnet Lower Academy

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 456 students.

Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need is high: 91.4% of students qualify for free meals, 68% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

Enrollment of 456 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.

Among 316 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #29, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.

The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 19.1% 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): Fisher Magnet Lower Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 20.4:1).

Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Fisher Magnet Lower Academy.

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 Fisher Magnet Lower Academy compares

Fisher Magnet Lower 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 13.4:1 ▼ 23% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 91.4% ▲ 68% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 456 top 32% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
91.4%
free-lunch eligible - 68% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher - 23% below state mean
Top 19% in Michigan - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide - above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Fisher Magnet Lower Academy.

$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%

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 Fisher Magnet Lower Academy Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Cass Technical High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Western International High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Renaissance High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Earhart Elementarymiddle School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Fisher Magnet Lower Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Detroit Public Schools Community District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Detroit

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Fisher Magnet Lower Academy's federal record.

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 Fisher Magnet Lower Academy

How many students attend Fisher Magnet Lower Academy?

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy has 456 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Fisher Magnet Lower Academy?

The student-teacher ratio at Fisher Magnet Lower Academy is 13.4:1, which is 23% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% lower 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 Fisher Magnet Lower Academy?

91.4% of students at Fisher Magnet Lower Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Fisher Magnet Lower Academy?

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.

How does Fisher Magnet Lower Academy rank among schools in Detroit?

By Resource Investment Index, Fisher Magnet Lower Academy ranks #6 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 Fisher Magnet Lower Academy a good school?

Fisher Magnet Lower Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of 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 Public Schools Community District?

Besides Fisher Magnet Lower Academy, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.