Detroit Premier Academy

Detroit Premier Academy is a K-8 charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 706 students in a predominantly low-income area, where over 90% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Detroit Premier Academy currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the bottom quartile of Michigan elementary schools, placing in the 9th percentile statewide. The most pressing concern for parents is the school's chronic absenteeism rate, which sits at 64.3%—meaning nearly two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of school days. This is more than double the state average of 27.9% and has remained stubbornly high for four years. By comparison, nearby Dearborn City School District schools like Oakman Elementary and Maples Elementary—located just a mile away and serving similarly high-poverty populations—have absenteeism rates around 25-29%. Academic proficiency is also critically low, especially in math: only 7.1% of 4th graders and 8.3% of 5th graders were proficient in 2025-2026, compared to state averages of 39.4% and 32.2%. Even Warrendale Charter Academy, another charter school just 1.24 miles away, outperforms Detroit Premier Academy significantly—for example, 34.7% of its 3rd graders were proficient in math versus 15.7% at Detroit Premier.

There are a few bright spots worth noting. The school shows a "middle school bounce," with 8th grade PSAT English Language Arts proficiency reaching 53.1%—much closer to the state average of 64.8% than in earlier grades. Additionally, African American students at the school rank in the 29th percentile statewide, notably better than the school's overall 9th percentile ranking. However, the school has increased per-pupil spending from $11,943 to $14,134 over three years without meaningful academic improvement, and its performance has not recovered to even pre-pandemic levels. For parents considering this school, the attendance crisis affecting nearly two-thirds of students is the fundamental issue that must be addressed for any academic progress to occur.