George Crockett Academy

George Crockett Academy is a small public charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 341 students in grades PK-8, where every single student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

This school faces significant challenges, most notably an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate. In the 2024-2025 school year, 67.5% of students were chronically absent—more than double the state average and far higher than nearby schools like Edmonson Montessori (16.3%) or Spain ElementaryMiddle School (46.0%). This attendance crisis is a major factor in the school's low academic performance, which consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Michigan elementary schools. The school also spends less per student ($15,193) than neighboring Detroit Public Schools Community District schools, which spend between $20,000 and $25,000, and it has a higher student-teacher ratio (14.3) than most peers, meaning less individualized attention for students who need it most.

Despite these hurdles, there are bright spots worth noting. The school shows a relative strength in 8th-grade PSAT ELA scores, with 45.9% of students proficient—close to the state average and far exceeding nearby SampsonWebber Leadership Academy (15.4%). Additionally, the school ranks in the 31st percentile for its African American students, significantly better than its overall ranking, suggesting effective practices for this group. The school's state ranking has also stabilized over the past three years after a major dip. While Edmonson Montessori, less than a mile away, demonstrates that high poverty doesn't have to limit success, George Crockett's path forward likely depends on tackling its attendance crisis head-on and building on the pockets of success already present in its classrooms.