Enrollment
791
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Southfield, MI
Laurus Academy
Federal NCES profile for Laurus 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 260029601728Charter 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
Laurus Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 8
- elementary schools in Southfield · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 82.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurus Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurus Academy ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Southfield, MI.
School address
District: Laurus Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260029601728 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurus Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurus Academy
Laurus Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Southfield, Michigan, enrolling 791 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 91% of state schools at 791 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #102.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Southfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Crescent Academy Elementary (265 students): Laurus Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.6:1 vs 11:1).
Laurus Academy is a single-school charter district, so Laurus 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 Laurus Academy compares
Laurus 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 | 82.1% | ▲ 51% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 791 | top 9% | - | - |
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.
791
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
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
56.4%
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
$11,142
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
4
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 87.4%
Two or More 8.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
White 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Laurus Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurus Academy, which includes Laurus Academy.
$11,142
Per student
-18%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.9%
State 82.1%
Federal 16.9%
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 elementary schools in Southfield
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~791 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurus Academy's federal record.
- Compare Laurus Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Laurus 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 Laurus Academy
How many students attend Laurus Academy?
Laurus Academy has 791 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Southfield, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurus Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurus 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 Laurus Academy?
82.1% of students at Laurus Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurus Academy?
The largest demographic group at Laurus Academy is African American at 87.4% of enrollment, in Southfield, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurus Academy?
Laurus 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 Laurus Academy rank among elementary schools in Southfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurus Academy ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Southfield, 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 Southfield on the city page.
Is Laurus Academy a good school?
Laurus 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 Laurus Academy?
None; Laurus Academy is a single-school charter district, and Laurus 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.