Enrollment
763
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pontiac, MI
Walton Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Walton Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260025401247Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walton Charter Academy earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Pontiac · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 89.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Walton Charter Academy has class sizes larger than 73% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walton Charter Academy ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Pontiac, MI.
School address
District: Walton Charter Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260025401247 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walton Charter Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walton Charter Academy
Walton Charter Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Pontiac, Michigan, enrolling 763 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.4% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 90% of state schools at 763 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 183 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #105.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pontiac's elementary schools, it stands alongside Whitman Elementary School (611 students): Walton Charter Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.1:1 vs 13:1).
Walton Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, so Walton Charter 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 Walton Charter Academy compares
Walton Charter 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.4% | ▲ 65% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 763 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
763
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Michigan - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.5%
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
$11,535
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 59.8%
African American 25.4%
Two or More 7.7%
White 4.3%
Asian 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Walton Charter Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walton Charter Academy, which includes Walton Charter Academy.
$11,535
Per student
-15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.0%
State 80.0%
Federal 18.1%
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 Pontiac
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~763 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walton Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Walton Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Walton Charter 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 Walton Charter Academy
How many students attend Walton Charter Academy?
Walton Charter Academy has 763 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pontiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walton Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Walton Charter Academy is 19.1:1, which is 9% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walton Charter Academy?
89.4% of students at Walton Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walton Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Walton Charter Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment, in Pontiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walton Charter Academy?
Walton Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Walton Charter Academy rank among elementary schools in Pontiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Walton Charter Academy ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Pontiac, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Pontiac on the city page.
Is Walton Charter Academy a good school?
Walton Charter Academy earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Walton Charter Academy?
None; Walton Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, and Walton Charter 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.