Enrollment
161
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260024401663 Charter school
Joy Preparatory Academy — Detroit, MI
Federal NCES profile for Joy Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joy Preparatory Academy earns an F Resource Investment Index (27/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 90% of Michigan schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 27/100
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 161
- students enrolled
School address
District: Joy Preparatory Academy · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joy Preparatory Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Joy Preparatory Academy reports 161 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 15.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 35% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 24% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 83% above the Michigan average and 92% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 75.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Joy Preparatory Academy spends $17,047 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $13,507 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 3.3% from local sources (property taxes), 58.8% from the state, and 37.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Joy Preparatory Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 35% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 83% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 161 | top 20% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
12 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 79% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
161 larger than 16% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 83% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
— 35% below state mean
Top 10% in Michigan — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
75.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,047
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $13,507
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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 + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 161 Top 20% in Michigan — larger than 80% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 15.0
Students per teacher 11.9:1 -35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.4% +83% vs state
NCES ID 260024401663
Student demographics
African American 98.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 98.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 75.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 34
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joy Preparatory Academy, which includes Joy Preparatory Academy.
$17,047
Per student
+26%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.3%
State 58.8%
Federal 37.9%
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 other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 19:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Joy Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Joy Preparatory Academy?
Joy Preparatory Academy has 161 students enrolled. It is a other school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joy Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Joy Preparatory Academy is 11.9:1, which is 35% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 24% 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 Joy Preparatory Academy?
99.4% of students at Joy Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joy Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Joy Preparatory Academy is African American at 98.8%. The school serves a student body in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joy Preparatory Academy?
Joy Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Joy Preparatory Academy a good school?
Joy Preparatory Academy earns an F Resource Investment Index (27/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 90% of Michigan schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.