Enrollment
86
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dearborn Heights, MI
Vista Meadows Academy
Federal NCES profile for Vista Meadows Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260095107956Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 83
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Meadows Academy earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Dearborn Heights · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Meadows Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Meadows Academy ranks #2 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI.
School address
District: Vista Meadows Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260095107956 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Meadows Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Meadows Academy
Vista Meadows Academy is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, enrolling 86 students.
At 17.2:1, 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 is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 84% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 86 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 86 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 33.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dearborn Heights's public schools, it stands alongside Global Heights Academy (274 students): Vista Meadows Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 21.1:1).
Vista Meadows Academy is a single-school charter district, so Vista Meadows 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 Vista Meadows Academy compares
Vista Meadows 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 84% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 86 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
86
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 55% in Michigan - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.8%
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
$14,721
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 86 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 93.0%
White 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Largest group: African American at 93.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.3, Vista Meadows Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vista Meadows Academy, which includes Vista Meadows Academy.
$14,721
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.3%
State 65.4%
Federal 33.3%
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 Dearborn Heights
1 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 (~86 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Meadows Academy's federal record.
- Compare Vista Meadows Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Vista Meadows 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 Vista Meadows Academy
How many students attend Vista Meadows Academy?
Vista Meadows Academy has 86 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Dearborn Heights, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Meadows Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Meadows Academy is 17.2:1, which is 2% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Meadows Academy?
100.0% of students at Vista Meadows Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Meadows Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vista Meadows Academy is African American at 93.0% of enrollment, in Dearborn Heights, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Meadows Academy?
Vista Meadows Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vista Meadows Academy rank among schools in Dearborn Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Meadows Academy ranks #2 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dearborn Heights on the city page.
Is Vista Meadows Academy a good school?
Vista Meadows Academy earns 36/100 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 Vista Meadows Academy?
None; Vista Meadows Academy is a single-school charter district, and Vista Meadows 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.