Enrollment
273
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Rapids, MI
William C Abney Academy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for William C Abney Academy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260018501065Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William C Abney Academy Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools.
- #11 of 24
- elementary schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
William C Abney Academy Elementary has class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William C Abney Academy Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: William C. Abney Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260018501065 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William C Abney Academy Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at William C Abney Academy Elementary
William C Abney Academy Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 273 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.4:1, William C Abney Academy Elementary is leaner than roughly 89% of Michigan schools and 35% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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.
With 273 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 194 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 75.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding William C. Abney Academy spends $16,454 per pupil, 22% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 26.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside River City Scholars Charter Academy (286 students): William C Abney Academy Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.4:1 vs 10.2:1).
William C. Abney Academy is a single-school charter district, so William C Abney Academy Elementary 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 William C Abney Academy Elementary compares
William C Abney Academy Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.4:1 | ▼ 35% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 84% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 273 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
273
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 11% in Michigan - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
75.5%
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
$16,454
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 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 89.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Two or More 4.4%
White 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.6, William C Abney Academy Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William C. Abney Academy, which includes William C Abney Academy Elementary.
$16,454
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.3%
State 61.9%
Federal 26.7%
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 Grand Rapids
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 (~273 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William C Abney Academy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare William C Abney Academy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- William C. Abney 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 William C Abney Academy Elementary
How many students attend William C Abney Academy Elementary?
William C Abney Academy Elementary has 273 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William C Abney Academy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at William C Abney Academy Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 35% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 27% lower 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 William C Abney Academy Elementary?
100.0% of students at William C Abney Academy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William C Abney Academy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at William C Abney Academy Elementary is African American at 89.4% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William C Abney Academy Elementary?
William C Abney Academy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 William C Abney Academy Elementary rank among elementary schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, William C Abney Academy Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, 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 Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is William C Abney Academy Elementary a good school?
William C Abney Academy Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of 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 William C. Abney Academy?
None; William C. Abney Academy is a single-school charter district, and William C Abney Academy Elementary 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.