Enrollment
76
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260102308423 Charter school
Way Academy Chicago Site — Detroit, MI
Federal NCES profile for Way Academy Chicago Site, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 15/100.
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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 →
The verdict
Way Academy Chicago Site earns an F Resource Investment Index (15/100) on federal resource data.
- F
- Resource Index · 15/100
- 96.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 76
- students enrolled
School address
District: W-a-Y 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.
Free-lunch eligible
96.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+78% vs state
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
Way Academy Chicago Site reports 76 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 96.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 78% above the Michigan average and 87% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding W-a-Y Academy spends $15,484 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $13,507 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 1.1% from local sources (property taxes), 69.7% from the state, and 29.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (F), calculated from 2 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 Way Academy Chicago Site 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.7% | ▲ 78% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 76 | top 11% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
76 larger than 8% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
96.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 78% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
100.0%
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
$15,484
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $13,507
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
Enrollment 76 Top 11% in Michigan — larger than 89% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) —
Students per teacher —
Free-lunch eligible 96.7% +78% vs state
NCES ID 260102308423
Student demographics
African American 97.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Largest group: African American at 97.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- 105:1
Similar other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 19:1 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.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Way Academy Chicago Site side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
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 a other 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%. The school serves a student body in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Way Academy Chicago Site?
Way Academy Chicago Site has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (F) based on 2 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. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is Way Academy Chicago Site a good school?
Way Academy Chicago Site earns an F Resource Investment Index (15/100) on federal resource data. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating. Limited indicators were available for this school, so the picture is partial.