Enrollment
76
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Way Academy Chicago Site
Federal NCES profile for Way Academy Chicago Site, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260102308423Charter school
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Way Academy Chicago Site earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #4 of 25
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 96.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 76
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Way Academy Chicago Site ranks #4 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: W-a-Y Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260102308423 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
96.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+78% vs state
What stands out at Way Academy Chicago Site
Way Academy Chicago Site is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 76 students.
Economic need is high: 96.7% of students qualify for free meals, 78% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 76 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 50 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #29.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Its district draws 29.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Way Academy Chicago Site is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Its district, W-a-Y Academy, also runs Way Academy Vernor Site (135 students).
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 Way Academy Chicago Site compares
Way Academy Chicago Site on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.7% | ▲ 78% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 76 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
76
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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.
Funding equity
$15,484
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 97.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Largest group: African American at 97.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.1, Way Academy Chicago Site is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for W-a-Y Academy, which includes Way Academy Chicago Site.
$15,484
Per student
+15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.1%
State 69.7%
Federal 29.2%
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.
How Way Academy Chicago Site Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Way Academy Vernor Site | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Way Academy Chicago Site's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Way Academy Chicago Site's federal record.
- Compare Way Academy Chicago Site against another school. Compare schools
- W-a-Y 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 Way Academy Chicago Site
How many students attend Way Academy Chicago Site?
Way Academy Chicago Site has 76 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Detroit, MI.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Way Academy Chicago Site?
96.7% of students at Way Academy Chicago Site are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Way Academy Chicago Site?
The largest demographic group at Way Academy Chicago Site is African American at 97.4% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Way Academy Chicago Site?
Way Academy Chicago Site has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Way Academy Chicago Site rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Way Academy Chicago Site ranks #4 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Way Academy Chicago Site a good school?
Way Academy Chicago Site earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also less 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 W-a-Y Academy?
Besides Way Academy Chicago Site, W-a-Y Academy also operates Way Academy Vernor Site (135 students). See the W-a-Y Academy district page for the complete list.
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.