Enrollment
421
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260026201272 Charter school
Metro Charter Academy — Romulus, MI
Federal NCES profile for Metro Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 30
🌟 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 →
School address
District: Metro Charter 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)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Metro Charter 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
Metro Charter Academy reports 421 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% 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 15.9:1, it is 10% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 73.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 35% above the Michigan average and 42% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 70.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Metro Charter Academy spends $11,866 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 2.7% from local sources (property taxes), 80.7% from the state, and 16.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Metro Charter 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 4% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.3% | ▲ 35% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 62% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
73.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 35% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
— 4% below state mean
Top 56% in Michigan — lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
70.5%
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
$11,866
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 421 Top 62% in Michigan — larger than 38% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 17.5:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 73.3% +35% vs state
NCES ID 260026201272
Student demographics
African American 79.6%
Two or More 14.7%
White 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 79.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 70.5%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 89
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Metro Charter Academy, which includes Metro Charter Academy.
$11,866
Per student
-25%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 2.7%
State 80.7%
Federal 16.5%
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 Romulus
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Summit Academy North Elementary School
Standard public school
642 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Wick Elementary School
Standard public school
281 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Romulus Elementary School
Standard public school
262 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Hale Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
223 students 16.5:1 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 Metro Charter Academy
How many students attend Metro Charter Academy?
Metro Charter Academy has 421 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in ROMULUS, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Metro Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Metro Charter Academy is 17.5:1, which is 4% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Metro Charter Academy?
73.3% of students at Metro Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Metro Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Metro Charter Academy is African American at 79.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in ROMULUS, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Metro Charter Academy?
Metro Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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.