Enrollment
186
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Howell, MI
Innovation Academy
Federal NCES profile for Innovation Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261872008860
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Innovation Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Howell · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 53.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Innovation Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Innovation Academy ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Howell, MI.
School address
District: Howell Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261872008860 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Innovation Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Innovation Academy
Innovation Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Howell, Michigan, enrolling 186 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Michigan schools and 52% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.8% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 186 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 286 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #260, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Howell's high schools, it stands alongside Adult Transition Services (76 students): Innovation Academy is larger than that campus by headcount.
Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students) and Parker Middle School (1,011 students) alongside Innovation 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 Innovation Academy compares
Innovation 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 | 26.6:1 | ▲ 52% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.8% | ▼ 1% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
186
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.6:1
students per teacher
- 52% 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
29.0%
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
$11,672
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
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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
White 91.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 1.1%
Largest group: White at 91.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.2, Innovation Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howell Public Schools, which includes Innovation Academy.
$11,672
Per student
-14%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.1%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.1%
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 Innovation Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parker Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highlander Way Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Three Fires Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Innovation Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar high schools in Howell
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~186 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Innovation Academy's federal record.
- Compare Innovation Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Howell Public Schools'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 Innovation Academy
How many students attend Innovation Academy?
Innovation Academy has 186 students enrolled. It is a high school in Howell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Innovation Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Innovation Academy is 26.6:1, which is 52% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Innovation Academy?
53.8% of students at Innovation Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Innovation Academy?
The largest demographic group at Innovation Academy is White at 91.4% of enrollment, in Howell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Innovation Academy?
Innovation Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Innovation Academy rank among high schools in Howell?
By Resource Investment Index, Innovation Academy ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Howell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Howell on the city page.
Is Innovation Academy a good school?
Innovation Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Howell Public Schools?
Besides Innovation Academy, Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students), Parker Middle School (1,011 students), and Highlander Way Middle School (789 students). See the Howell Public Schools 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.