Central Academy

Central Academy is an alternative public charter school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 559 students. The school has a high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, indicating a student population from low-income backgrounds.

Central Academy faces significant challenges in terms of student outcomes, with lower graduation rates ranging from 81.7% to 100% in recent years, compared to the state average of around 80-85%. The school has also experienced relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 0% to 8.1%, and high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 7.1% to 30.8%, both significantly above the state averages. Central Academy's test scores on the M-Step, SAT, and PSAT assessments are consistently lower than the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas, with projected proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math around 20-27%, compared to the state averages of 38-44%.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Livingston Classical Academy, Dexter Alternative School, and GEE Compass Academy, Central Academy generally underperforms in terms of graduation rates, test scores, and chronic absenteeism. These nearby schools tend to have higher proficiency rates and lower dropout and chronic absenteeism rates. Central Academy's higher spending per student, ranging from $10,785 to $15,392 per year, and higher student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.3 to 15.9, suggest that the school may need to evaluate the effectiveness of its resource allocation and instructional practices to better support student success.