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Bradford Academy

Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12

1479^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Alternative Schools

Better than 1% of Michigan alternative schools

Summary

Bradford Academy is a public charter school in Southfield, MI, serving 678 students in grades PK through 12, where 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school operates as its own district and faces significant challenges across nearly every measure of student success.

Academic proficiency at Bradford Academy is critically low. In the 2025-2026 school year, only 6.3% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA, compared to the state average of 38.2%. Similar patterns appear across grade levels—7th-grade math proficiency was just 6.12% versus the state's 33.3%. Even when compared to schools with similar economic demographics, Bradford lags considerably. For example, David Ellis Academy, which has a comparable free/reduced lunch population, posted 7th-grade ELA proficiency of 60% versus Bradford's 8.16%. The contrast with higher-performing nearby options like AGBU Alex-Marie Manoogian School is even starker—AGBU boasts a 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate, while Bradford's graduation rate sits at 78.4% and its dropout rate is 15.6%, more than double the state average.

Attendance is a major hurdle. Bradford's chronic absenteeism rate of 59.8% is more than double the state average of 27.9%, and this figure has remained persistently high over the past five years. This likely drives much of the low academic performance, as students who aren't in class can't learn. The school spends $16,135 per student, which is higher than some peers like AGBU ($12,193) but lower than others like NOVA Discipline Academy ($22,121). Despite this funding level, outcomes remain poor. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that Bradford Academy serves a high-need population but is struggling significantly compared to other area schools serving similar students. Families may want to explore alternatives like David Ellis Academy West or Lighthouse Connections Academy to compare options.

678

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,135

Per pupil spending ?

86%

Free/discounted lunch ?

24218 Garner St
Southfield, MI 48033-2900

(248) 351-0000

District: Bradford Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.8%

Two or more races:

1.0%

Hispanic:

0.7%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Bradford Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2023 → 12th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (12% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (78% vs 84%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg12%

Michigan avg41%

Elementary school

1,479^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 6% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

870^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

707^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	5.1	1479 of 1492	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.4	1440 of 1488	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	1332 of 1486	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.2	1417 of 1470	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.1	1337 of 1344	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.7	1354 of 1408	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	1396 of 1448	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.2	1383 of 1466	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.9	1449 of 1548	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.5	1439 of 1580	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.6	1425 of 1533	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	11.7	1425 of 1563	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	13.7	1430 of 1566	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.7	1451 of 1552	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	12.2	1470 of 1552	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	16.0	1449 of 1589	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.8	1465 of 1577	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.8	1499 of 1565	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	2.9	1528 of 1545	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	14.1	372 of 388	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	330 of 369	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.2	218 of 348	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.8	288 of 321	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	155 of 158	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	176 of 212	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.8	363 of 475	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	12.3	1205 of 1342	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	1280 of 1321	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.1	1122 of 1171	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.3	1377 of 1443	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	7.5	1332 of 1352	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.7	1311 of 1346	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	1235 of 1381	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	1298 of 1350	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.0	1094 of 1099	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.6	1067 of 1134	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	1324 of 1397	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	5.3	1355 of 1372	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.1	1324 of 1347	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.3	1309 of 1334	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.6	1363 of 1446	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	6.6	870 of 896	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.3	826 of 890	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.9	884 of 897	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	859 of 883	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	765 of 792	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	802 of 838	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.3	807 of 821	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.9	849 of 894	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.1	831 of 919	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	10.1	835 of 921	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	22.0	749 of 919	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.4	722 of 900	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.7	748 of 858	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.8	753 of 851	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	17.0	770 of 847	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.6	771 of 839	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	6.8	785 of 823	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.8	769 of 806	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	315 of 337	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.6	246 of 338	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	285 of 300	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	286 of 310	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	171 of 196	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	272 of 366	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	4.6	765 of 770	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	630 of 658	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.6	731 of 794	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	9.4	800 of 834	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.2	827 of 836	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	800 of 825	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	651 of 672	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.2	762 of 815	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	5.3	764 of 776	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.7	760 of 797	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	9.6	707 of 800	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.7	680 of 739	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	674 of 743	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.3	664 of 666	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.5	789 of 824	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.3	700 of 835	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	5.5	780 of 852	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.7	735 of 832	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	9.6	702 of 799	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	13.1	680 of 805	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.1	678 of 773	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	10.3	692 of 784	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	9.3	686 of 765	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	27.3	181 of 252	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.0	139 of 192	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	141 of 188	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.6	145 of 147	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	222 of 254	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	2.4	698 of 710	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.0	622 of 719	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.6	583 of 635	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	593 of 654	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.1	531 of 532	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	710 of 755	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.5	603 of 693	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	6.7	589 of 628	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.2	540 of 543	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.3	688 of 707	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	44 of 125	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	11.2	300 of 315	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

Female (2024)10th percentile~ school

African American (2026)4th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)1st percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2026)7th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile~ school

Male (2023)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2023)1st percentile~ school

High school

Special Education (2025)65th percentile+57 vs school

African American (2026)28th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile~ school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

Female (2018)2nd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science13%-25 vs state

Mathematics13%-13 vs state

Social Studies12%-29 vs state

English Language Arts7%-33 vs state

Math7%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bradford 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 ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)			PSAT Mathematics (2026)			SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT 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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th 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 Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th 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
Bradford Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	24218 Garner St	Southfield	48033	Oakland County	Bradford Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(248) 351-0000	678	48	14.1	86.0%	2 (0.3%)	663 (97.8%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)								(n/a)	32.4	30.0	13.0	346.8	348.5	344.1	370.0	13.2	6.3	6.0	8.9	7.0	8.2	1262.2	8.0	1458.4	1558.8	6.1	13.3	1778.5	2066.2	1464.6	11.8	2076.7	$16,135	$2,567	$13,567
Pillars Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	26555 Franklin Rd	Southfield	48033	Oakland County	Pillars Academy	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(734) 660-7423	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)									53.9	50.0	63.6	1616.2		66.7	61.1	36.4	1617.2		54.6			36.4
Lighthouse Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	20750 Civic Center Dr	Southfield	48076	Oakland County	Lighthouse Connections Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(248) 509-5858	2,056	85	24.1	67.8%	1,163 (56.6%)	464 (22.6%)	166 (8.1%)	36 (1.8%)	25 (1.2%)	2 (0.1%)	200 (9.7%)								(n/a)	48.8	45.0	45.5	7.9	7.0	11.7	42.4	6.1	18.0	21.4	25.6	22.9	22.0	13.1	12.8	6.8	8.9	8.1	16.8	16.0	24.2	6.1	27.0	33.0	$12,311	$1,090	$11,221
David Ellis Academy West	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	19800 Beech Daly Rd	Redford	48240	Wayne County	David Ellis Academy West	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 450-0300	725	44	16.6	90.6%	0 (0.0%)	721 (99.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	38.6			7.2					23.2	28.6	37.7	15.9	21.4	23.2	16.9	3.9	1564.5	10.7	31.2	12.0		15.6	33.7		$13,987	$1,934	$12,053
Keeler School	Public, Alternative	K-12	17715 Brady	Redford	48240	Wayne County	Redford Union Schools District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(313) 242-3900	99	16	6.1	55.6%	54 (54.5%)	39 (39.4%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)								(n/a)	330.0	314.6		282.0	250.0																				$72,213	$3,277	$68,936
AGBU AlexMarie Manoogian School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	22001 Northwestern Hwy	Southfield	48075	Oakland County	AGBU Alex-Marie Manoogian School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 569-2988	426	27	15.6	54.9%	420 (98.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	68.4	74.4	51.4	39.5	53.8	25.7	51.3	30.8	46.4	60.7	50.0	54.8	58.6	50.0	53.6	39.3	35.5	65.5	50.0	44.7	48.7	42.9	50.0	51.3	$12,193	$652	$11,541
Kennedy Learning Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	16229 Mount Vernon St	Southfield	48075	Oakland County	Southfield Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 746-8828	46	5	9.2	52.2%	2 (4.3%)	41 (89.1%)	2 (4.3%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																									$50,809	$5,696	$45,113
NOVA Discipline Academy	Public, Alternative	2-12	13900 Granzon St	Oak Park	48237	Oakland County	Oak Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 336-7650	108	6	18.0	84.3%	3 (2.8%)	102 (94.4%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		27.3	321.3		317.3	313.0	367.4	349.1													2067.5			11.4	$22,121	$2,706	$19,415
University Yes Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14717 Curtis St	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	University Yes Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 270-2556	388	19	20.4	91.2%	0 (0.0%)	385 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)								(n/a)	19.6			5.9					25.5	25.9	18.5	18.2	20.0	46.8	25.9	20.4	31.8	28.9	13.0	13.7		9.3	27.5		$17,279	$2,425	$14,854
David Ellis Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	18977 Schaefer Hwy	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	David Ellis Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 450-0642	206	15	14.2	92.7%	0 (0.0%)	205 (99.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	37.5			364.4					20.0	25.0	14.3	31.8	60.0	25.0	1375.5	1462.4	1570.4	35.0	1472.6	18.8		1465.9	18.8		$15,930	$2,079	$13,851

Frequently Asked Questions about Bradford Academy

What is the racial makeup of Bradford Academy?

Students at Bradford Academy are 98% African American, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Bradford Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 678 students attended Bradford Academy.

Is Bradford Academy a good school?

Bradford Academy ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Michigan alternative schools.

What district is Bradford Academy in?

Bradford 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.