Enrollment
800
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260022301182 Charter school
South Arbor Charter Academy — Ypsilanti, MI
Federal NCES profile for South Arbor Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 23
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: South Arbor 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)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Arbor 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
South Arbor Charter Academy reports 800 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 39.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 29% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 26.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% below the Michigan average and 48% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Arbor Charter Academy spends $10,396 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 3.9% from local sources (property taxes), 86.4% from the state, and 9.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 South Arbor 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 | 20.5:1 | ▲ 13% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.7% | ▼ 51% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 800 | top 92% | — | — |
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
26.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
— 13% above state mean
Top 84% in Michigan — lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$10,396
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
4
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 800 Top 92% in Michigan — larger than 8% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 20.5:1 +13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 26.7% -51% vs state
NCES ID 260022301182
Student demographics
White 44.9%
African American 18.3%
Asian 16.6%
Two or More 12.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Largest group: White at 44.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.8%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 43
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Arbor Charter Academy, which includes South Arbor Charter Academy.
$10,396
Per student
-34%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 3.9%
State 86.4%
Federal 9.6%
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 Ypsilanti
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Fortis Academy
Standard public school
681 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Brick Elementary School
Standard public school
500 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Childs Elementary School
Standard public school
493 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Ypsilanti Community Middle School
Standard public school
456 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Estabrook Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Erickson Elementary
Standard public school
271 students 11.7:1 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 South Arbor Charter Academy
How many students attend South Arbor Charter Academy?
South Arbor Charter Academy has 800 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in YPSILANTI, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Arbor Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at South Arbor Charter Academy is 20.5:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Arbor Charter Academy?
26.7% of students at South Arbor Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Arbor Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at South Arbor Charter Academy is White at 44.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in YPSILANTI, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Arbor Charter Academy?
South Arbor Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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.