Enrollment
376
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saginaw, MI
Saginaw Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Saginaw Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260016100986Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Saginaw Preparatory Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools.
- #24 of 27
- schools in Saginaw · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 95.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Saginaw Preparatory Academy has class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Saginaw Preparatory Academy ranks #24 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI.
School address
District: Saginaw Preparatory Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260016100986 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Saginaw Preparatory Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Saginaw Preparatory Academy
Saginaw Preparatory Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Saginaw, Michigan, enrolling 376 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 95.8% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 376 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 279 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #219, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Saginaw's public schools, it stands alongside Arthur Eddy Academy (232 students): Saginaw Preparatory Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 12.2:1).
Saginaw Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, so Saginaw Preparatory 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 Saginaw Preparatory Academy compares
Saginaw Preparatory 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.8% | ▲ 76% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 376 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Michigan - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.1%
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
$14,157
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat 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
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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.
Student demographics
African American 87.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Two or More 3.7%
White 1.9%
Largest group: African American at 87.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.3, Saginaw Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saginaw Preparatory Academy, which includes Saginaw Preparatory Academy.
$14,157
Per student
+5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 4.2%
State 66.8%
Federal 28.9%
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 Saginaw
2 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.
Similar enrollment (~376 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Saginaw Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Saginaw Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Saginaw Preparatory 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 Saginaw Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
Saginaw Preparatory Academy has 376 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saginaw, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Saginaw Preparatory Academy is 19.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
95.8% of students at Saginaw Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Saginaw Preparatory Academy is African American at 87.2% of enrollment, in Saginaw, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
Saginaw Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Saginaw Preparatory Academy rank among schools in Saginaw?
By Resource Investment Index, Saginaw Preparatory Academy ranks #24 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Saginaw on the city page.
Is Saginaw Preparatory Academy a good school?
Saginaw Preparatory Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Saginaw Preparatory Academy?
None; Saginaw Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, and Saginaw Preparatory 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.