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Detroit Merit Charter Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1182^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Detroit Merit Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 719 students in a predominantly low-income area, where over 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Detroit Merit Charter Academy faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom fifth of Michigan schools overall (21st percentile) with a 1-star rating. However, the picture is more nuanced when looking at specific student groups. The school's African American students perform notably better, ranking in the 55th percentile statewide—a 3-star rating that has been consistent over the past three years. This suggests the school may have particular strengths in supporting this population, even as overall achievement remains low. One bright spot is 8th-grade science, where proficiency jumped to 31% in the most recent year, up from under 20% the year before and approaching the state average. The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism: 54% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the state average of 27.9%. This is likely a major factor holding back academic progress, though it reflects a broader challenge across Detroit, where the district average is even higher at 60.9%.

Compared to nearby schools, Detroit Merit tells a story of relative strength within Detroit but stark disparity versus affluent neighbors. Within the immediate area, Detroit Merit outperforms several Detroit Public Schools Community District options like Ronald Brown Academy (1st percentile), Wayne Elementary School (6th percentile), and Hamilton Academy (9th percentile). However, just 1.5 miles away in Grosse Pointe Public Schools, Lewis Maire Elementary School ranks in the 97th percentile, with 3rd-grade reading proficiency at 70.7% versus Detroit Merit's 23.9%. The school also operates more efficiently than many peers, spending $14,134 per student compared to over $25,000 at some nearby DPS schools, while achieving better results—a notable accomplishment given the resource constraints and socioeconomic obstacles its students face.

719

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,134

Per pupil spending ?

82.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1091 Alter Rd
Detroit, MI 48215-2861

(313) 331-3328

District: Detroit Merit Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.0%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Hispanic:

1.8%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Detroit Merit Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 31st percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (23% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (54% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school23%

District avg23%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

1,182^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

617^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 45 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

490^th of 625Detroit Merit Charter 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	1182 of 1492	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.8	1204 of 1488	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	1199 of 1486	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	1198 of 1470	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	1131 of 1344	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.5	1094 of 1153	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	1063 of 1408	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	1076 of 1448	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.9	1053 of 1466	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	32.2	1073 of 1548	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.2	1084 of 1580	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.3	794 of 1533	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.6	905 of 1563	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.2	1041 of 1566	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.1	833 of 1552	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.0	823 of 1552	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.3	894 of 1589	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.6	920 of 1577	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.2	1219 of 1565	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.0	1267 of 1545	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.8	175 of 388	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.6	180 of 369	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.4	146 of 348	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.9	147 of 321	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	73 of 158	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.3	32 of 51	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.2	77 of 212	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.9	81 of 475	82.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	14.4	1194 of 1343	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	1136 of 1338	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	1148 of 1342	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	1177 of 1321	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	937 of 1106	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.9	863 of 902	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.5	918 of 1171	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.2	987 of 1443	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	26.2	1028 of 1352	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.2	1067 of 1346	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	1099 of 1381	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	1055 of 1350	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	875 of 1099	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.5	714 of 749	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.4	772 of 1134	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.4	882 of 1397	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	1113 of 1372	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.0	1154 of 1366	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.5	1163 of 1347	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	1084 of 1334	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.5	1070 of 1139	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	1022 of 1196	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	1109 of 1446	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.4	617 of 896	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.4	690 of 890	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	646 of 897	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	658 of 883	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	593 of 776	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.3	541 of 675	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.7	531 of 792	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.5	393 of 838	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.4	355 of 821	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.1	215 of 894	76.0%	★★★★☆
2015	51.1	449 of 919	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.3	409 of 921	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.1	420 of 919	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.6	430 of 900	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.9	329 of 858	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.3	359 of 851	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.5	420 of 847	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.9	240 of 839	71.4%	★★★★☆
2007	62.6	375 of 823	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	39.4	619 of 806	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	92 of 337	72.7%	★★★★☆
2025	45.4	149 of 338	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.6	97 of 300	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	132 of 310	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.6	51 of 182	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	57.8	28 of 77	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.8	48 of 196	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	89.9	25 of 366	93.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	570 of 789	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.9	627 of 789	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	580 of 771	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	649 of 770	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	509 of 657	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.2	368 of 521	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.1	398 of 658	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.6	309 of 794	61.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	505 of 834	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.4	636 of 832	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.7	554 of 836	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	567 of 825	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	494 of 691	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.7	261 of 523	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.1	331 of 672	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.9	219 of 815	73.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	602 of 813	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.8	667 of 798	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.6	628 of 786	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	515 of 776	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.5	544 of 658	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	492 of 639	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.9	405 of 797	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2026)55th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)19th percentile~ school

Female (2026)11th percentile-10 vs school

Middle school

African American (2026)73rd percentile+42 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)28th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics26%-7 vs state

Science25%-14 vs state

English Language Arts25%-15 vs state

Math19%-17 vs state

Social Studies16%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Detroit Merit Charter Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Detroit Merit Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1091 Alter Rd	Detroit	48215	Wayne County	Detroit Merit Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 331-3328	719	39	18.4	82.3%	2 (0.3%)	647 (90.0%)	13 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.5%)	19.5	1182^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.8%		17.8	1204^th of 1488 public elementary schools	19.1%	22	44.8	25.9	23.9	22.8	18.8	29.6	27.9	25.4	19.0	18.8	18.5	13.2	21.3	31.0	5.0	31.0	$14,134	$1,932	$12,202
George Defer Elementary School	Public	K-4	15425 Kercheval Ave	Grosse Pointe Park	48230	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4000	460	27	16.8	12.2%	372 (80.9%)	28 (6.1%)	18 (3.9%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	91.1	116^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.2%		94.5	61^st of 1488 public elementary schools	95.9%	55			62.9	66.3				68.0	68.5								$16,564	$726	$15,838
Carstens ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	13000 Essex Ave	Detroit	48215	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-5500	266	19	14.0	95.5%	0 (0.0%)	263 (98.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.9	1354^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.2%					(n/a)	47.6	14.3	1260.8	1366.0	10.3	18.5	23.1	1252.0	10.5	11.1	11.5	16.0	1469.0	23.8	1461.2	28.6	$25,080	$2,316	$22,764
Lewis Maire Elementary School	Public	K-4	740 Cadieux Rd	Grosse Pointe	48230	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4300	252	13	19.0	6.0%	202 (80.2%)	10 (4.0%)	15 (6.0%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.9%)	95.2	50^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.6%		96.6	31^st of 1488 public elementary schools	97.9%	19			70.7	82.2				65.9	80.0								$16,464	$607	$15,856
Detroit Enterprise Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	11224 Kercheval St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Enterprise Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-5799	686	38	18.0	88.9%	2 (0.3%)	618 (90.1%)	13 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.4%)	26.3	1063^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	28.8%		21.1	1137^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.6%	74	49.1	38.2	30.5	24.7	38.7	25.4	34.0	32.9	18.5	16.2	23.9	26.4	25.3	29.1	12.0	34.5	$14,595	$1,639	$12,956
Hamilton Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	14223 Southampton St	Detroit	48213	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 870-0556	358	23	15.5	97.2%	0 (0.0%)	353 (98.6%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.5	1362^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	8.7%		6.6	1434^th of 1488 public elementary schools	3.6%	72	10.5	10.5	10.0	6.3	1464.0	20.0	1662.9	18.8	11.4	1450.2	19.1	1654.1	1465.5	1765.3	1461.0	1773.6	$21,008	$2,247	$18,761
Ronald Brown Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	11530 E Outer Dr	Detroit	48224	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 886-2611	834	47	17.7	92.0%	1 (0.1%)	815 (97.7%)	10 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	5.3	1475^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.1%		4.4	1483^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	0.3%	8	20.0	8.6	7.0	8.3	4.7	11.4	10.1	8.1	7.3	1448.7	3.4	11.4	1465.3	1769.4	1459.6	6.9	$20,443	$1,906	$18,536
Hutchinson ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2600 Garland St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-4169	379	27	14.1	90.0%	1 (0.3%)	367 (96.8%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.7	1336^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.5%		9.3	1369^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.0%	33	27.9	14.0	1268.3	5.9	25.0	13.9	22.2	1271.7	1360.2	14.8	11.8	25.9	1468.5	1771.7	1463.8	25.6	$23,734	$2,028	$21,706
Richard Elementary School	Public	K-4	176 McKinley Ave	Grosse Pointe Farms	48236	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4900	313	18	17.7	8.6%	273 (87.2%)	8 (2.6%)	15 (4.8%)	8 (2.6%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	94.9	53^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	96.4%		95.8	44^th of 1488 public elementary schools	97.0%	9			68.7	69.5				79.1	71.2								$17,665	$768	$16,897
Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	10800 E Canfield St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Barack Obama Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 823-6000	329	8	41.1	92.4%	0 (0.0%)	321 (97.6%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6.5	1448^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.9%		6.6	1436^th of 1488 public elementary schools	3.5%	12	326.5	305.9	8.1	7.7	1461.2	13.3	1669.1	1262.0	1359.3	1448.1	1563.8	1658.6	1458.6	1769.7	1456.3	1778.6	$15,422	$00	$15,422

Frequently Asked Questions about Detroit Merit Charter Academy

How many students attend Detroit Merit Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 719 students attended Detroit Merit Charter Academy.

Is Detroit Merit Charter Academy a good school?

Detroit Merit Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 20.8% of Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Detroit Merit Charter Academy?

Students at Detroit Merit Charter Academy are 90% African American, 8% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Detroit Merit Charter Academy in?

Detroit Merit Charter Academy

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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.