Enrollment
765
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260009800602 Charter school
Vanguard Charter Academy — Wyoming, MI
Federal NCES profile for Vanguard Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 23/100.
👥 Class size 16
🌟 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: Vanguard 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)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vanguard 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
Vanguard Charter Academy reports 765 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 38.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% 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 32% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 50.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% below the Michigan average and 3% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Vanguard Charter Academy spends $11,059 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 4.2% from local sources (property taxes), 81.8% from the state, and 14.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Vanguard 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 | 21:1 | ▲ 15% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.1% | ▼ 8% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 765 | top 90% | — | — |
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
50.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
— 15% above state mean
Top 86% in Michigan — lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.7%
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
$11,059
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
6
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 765 Top 90% in Michigan — larger than 10% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 38.0
Students per teacher 21:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 50.1% -8% vs state
NCES ID 260009800602
Student demographics
White 43.3%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
Two or More 11.1%
African American 10.6%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 43.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.7%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vanguard Charter Academy, which includes Vanguard Charter Academy.
$11,059
Per student
-30%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 4.2%
State 81.8%
Federal 14.0%
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 Wyoming
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Wyoming Intermediate
Standard public school
579 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
West Godwin Elementary School
Standard public school
393 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Godfrey Elementary School
Standard public school
325 students 15:1 students per teacher
Parkview Elementary School
Standard public school
296 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Gladiola Elementary School
Standard public school
290 students 13.3:1 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 Vanguard Charter Academy
How many students attend Vanguard Charter Academy?
Vanguard Charter Academy has 765 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in WYOMING, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vanguard Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vanguard Charter Academy is 21:1, which is 15% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vanguard Charter Academy?
50.1% of students at Vanguard Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vanguard Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vanguard Charter Academy is White at 43.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in WYOMING, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vanguard Charter Academy?
Vanguard Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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.