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Cesar Chavez Academy High School

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

608^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 18% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Cesar Chavez High School is a public charter high school in Detroit, Michigan, serving 693 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Cesar Chavez Academy District, which is ranked 528 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cesar Chavez High School consistently ranks in the bottom 20-25% of Michigan high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state average across various subjects and assessments. For example, in 2024-2025, only 17% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to the state average of 34.9%. Nearby schools, such as Detroit Public Safety Academy, River Rouge High School, and the Covenant High Schools, also perform poorly, with test scores well below the state averages.

Cesar Chavez High School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 29.5% to 48.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has a slightly below-average four-year graduation rate and a higher-than-average dropout rate. These challenges are not unique to Cesar Chavez High School, as the nearby schools face similar issues, indicating a broader regional concern. The data suggests that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in the academic and developmental challenges faced by students in this area of Detroit, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and support to improve educational outcomes.

730

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,087

Per pupil spending ?

97.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1761 Waterman St
Detroit, MI 48209-2194

(313) 551-0611

District: Cesar Chavez Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.9%

White:

1.8%

African American:

1.8%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Cesar Chavez Academy High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 1st percentile in 2022 → 18th in 2025

Strengths

✓93% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (83%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 18th (2025) from a 1st-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (21% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg21%

Michigan avg40%

608^th of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 26% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

528^th of 613Cesar Chavez Academy among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	16.6	608 of 739	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	656 of 743	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.4	554 of 735	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.9	525 of 531	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.2	548 of 561	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.7	591 of 666	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	607 of 824	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	13.1	632 of 835	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.6	591 of 852	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	26.1	613 of 832	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.3	585 of 799	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.3	610 of 805	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.4	581 of 773	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.3	542 of 784	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.0	540 of 765	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.0	558 of 754	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.9	629 of 750	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	11.4	661 of 767	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	15.4	605 of 705	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	32 of 53	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.1	40 of 43	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	27 of 35	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	83 of 102	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	9.7	569 of 629	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.1	596 of 619	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	511 of 611	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	3.0	458 of 462	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.7	521 of 554	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.3	565 of 710	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	15.6	181 of 203	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	188 of 195	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.9	151 of 190	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.2	80 of 83	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.3	64 of 64	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.7	88 of 97	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	142 of 201	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	23.4	494 of 635	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.7	561 of 654	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	410 of 614	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	11.2	357 of 369	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.1	406 of 417	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.3	457 of 532	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	493 of 755	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	511 of 628	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	564 of 633	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	485 of 611	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	4.6	437 of 440	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.6	464 of 472	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	495 of 543	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.3	538 of 707	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	30.3	215 of 315	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)40th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2018)32nd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)22nd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)11th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing32%-24 vs state

Social Studies25%-17 vs state

Science17%-18 vs state

Mathematics10%-17 vs state

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Schools Near Cesar Chavez Academy High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cesar Chavez Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1761 Waterman St	Detroit	48209	Wayne County	Cesar Chavez Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 551-0611	730	37	19.7	97.1%	13 (1.8%)	13 (1.8%)	700 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	16.6	608^th of 739 public high schools	17.7%		11.7	656^th of 743 public high schools	11.7%	48		31.6	10.5		17.0		25.1	$12,087	$3,827	$8,260
WAY Academy Vernor Site	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	8701 W Vernor Hwy	Detroit	48209	Wayne County	W-A-Y Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(313) 444-8082	135	2	88.8	84.4%	8 (5.9%)	2 (1.5%)	125 (92.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$12,761	$3,526	$9,235
Western International High School	Public	9-12	1500 Scotten St	Detroit	48209	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 849-4758	1,959	85	23.0	79.1%	96 (4.9%)	363 (18.5%)	1,489 (76.0%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.3%)	5.4	711^th of 739 public high schools	3.8%		5.2	714^th of 743 public high schools	3.9%	3		17.0	5.4		5.5		12.0	$18,400	$1,811	$16,590
Voyageur College Prep	Public, Charter	9-12	4366 Military St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	Voyageur Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 361-4180	524	27	19.4	97.9%	7 (1.3%)	414 (79.0%)	93 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.7%)	2.7	738^th of 739 public high schools	0.1%		4.4	725^th of 743 public high schools	2.4%	13		8.7			4.4		6.1	$4,960	$75	$4,885
Covenant High School Southwest	Public, Charter	9-12	1450 25th St	Detroit	48216	Wayne County	Covenant Schools Detroit	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 297-8720	164	6	27.5	97.0%	17 (10.4%)	80 (48.8%)	66 (40.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)								$10,915	$1,988	$8,928
Covenant High School Central	Public, Charter	9-12	2959 Martin Luther King Jr Bl	Detroit	48208	Wayne County	Covenant Schools Detroit	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 899-6900	240	8	30.3	94.6%	4 (1.7%)	230 (95.8%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)								(n/a)								$10,494	$1,965	$8,529
Services Metro YouthBuild Learning Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	5200 Stecker St	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Services YouthBuild Learning Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(313) 945-5200	109	3	36.3	69.7%	0 (0.0%)	83 (76.1%)	26 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$11,987	$293	$11,694
Detroit Public Safety Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	1250 Rosa Parks Blvd	Detroit	48216	Wayne County	Detroit Public Safety Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 965-6916	156	8	19.2	82.7%	0 (0.0%)	155 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.7	696^th of 739 public high schools	5.8%		4.8	722^nd of 743 public high schools	2.8%	26					11.8		9.1	$13,748	$4,480	$9,269
River Rouge High School	Public	9-12	1460 Coolidge Hwy	River Rouge	48218	Wayne County	River Rouge School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 297-9600	987	42	23.6	76.9%	18 (1.8%)	860 (87.1%)	73 (7.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (3.2%)	4.6	719^th of 739 public high schools	2.7%		3	738^th of 743 public high schools	0.7%	19		15.8			8.7		8.7	$17,783	$3,160	$14,623
Detroit Lions Academy	Public	6-12	2001 W Warren Ave	Detroit	48208	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 852-9677	400	34	11.7	91.3%	5 (1.3%)	384 (96.0%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)	11.1			7.4		17.9		$25,343	$1,973	$23,370

Frequently Asked Questions about Cesar Chavez Academy High School

What district is Cesar Chavez Academy High School in?

Cesar Chavez Academy

Is Cesar Chavez Academy High School a good school?

Cesar Chavez Academy High School ranks in the bottom 17.7% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend Cesar Chavez Academy High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 730 students attended Cesar Chavez Academy High School.

What is the racial makeup of Cesar Chavez Academy High School?

Students at Cesar Chavez Academy High School are 96% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.