Enrollment
260
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261995005673
Washington Writers Academy — Kalamazoo, MI
Federal NCES profile for Washington Writers Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 44
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: Kalamazoo Public Schools · 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)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Writers 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
Washington Writers Academy reports 260 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 91.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 69% above the Michigan average and 77% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Kalamazoo Public Schools spends $17,334 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.5% from local sources (property taxes), 51.9% from the state, and 15.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), 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 Washington Writers 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 | 18.1:1 | ▼ 1% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.9% | ▲ 69% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 33% | — | — |
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
91.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 69% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
— 1% below state mean
Top 63% in Michigan — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
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
$17,334
per pupil, district-wide
— above 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
8
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 260 Top 33% in Michigan — larger than 67% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 18.1:1 -1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 91.9% +69% vs state
NCES ID 261995005673
Student demographics
African American 61.2%
Two or More 15.8%
White 14.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 61.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.3%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 47
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalamazoo Public Schools, which includes Washington Writers Academy.
$17,334
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.5%
State 51.9%
Federal 15.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,785
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,613
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 889
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
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 Washington Writers Academy
How many students attend Washington Writers Academy?
Washington Writers Academy has 260 students enrolled. It is a other school in Kalamazoo, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Writers Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Writers Academy is 18.1:1, which is 1% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Writers Academy?
91.9% of students at Washington Writers Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Writers Academy?
The largest demographic group at Washington Writers Academy is African American at 61.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Kalamazoo, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Writers Academy?
Washington Writers Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) 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.