Fortis Academy

Summary:

Fortis Academy is a public charter elementary school serving grades K-8 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with a diverse student population. However, the school has struggled academically, ranking in the bottom half of Michigan elementary schools and receiving a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fortis Academy faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 23.3% to 49.1% over the past 5 years, well above the state average. The school's test scores in core subjects like English Language Arts and Math are also well below state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 23.4% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA, compared to the state average of 39.6%. While the school's African American and Hispanic students perform better than the overall school, they still lag behind state averages for those subgroups, and the school's English Language Learner and low socioeconomic status students perform particularly poorly.

The stark contrast between Fortis Academy's performance and that of the nearby Ann Arbor Public Schools, which are highly rated, is particularly concerning. For instance, in 3rd grade ELA, Fortis Academy scored 23.4% proficient compared to 60.1% for the Ann Arbor district. These performance gaps suggest potential equity issues that need to be addressed, and the school's high poverty rate (88.71% free/reduced lunch) may be a contributing factor. Addressing the school's chronic absenteeism and overall management and governance challenges should be a top priority for Fortis Academy.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 3875 Golfside Rd
       Ypsilanti, MI  48197-3726


(734) 572-3623

District: Fortis Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
995th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,012 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  16.2 Help
Number of students:  638

Racial breakdown:

African American:
43.6%
Hispanic:
27.4%
White:
13.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  88.7% Help


 See top rated Michigan elementary schools

 Compare Fortis Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Fortis Academy ranks worse than 67% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.61. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details Fortis Academy ranks better than 50.3% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.86. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Fortis Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (43.6%), Hispanic (27.4%), White (13.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 88.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fortis Academy is 16.2. (See more...)
Help
Compare Fortis Academy employs 39.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fortis Academy is $13,012.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fortis Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Fortis Academy 995th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Fortis Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Fortis Academy 446th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Fortis Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fortis Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Fortis Academy 369th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Fortis Academy?

Rank History for Fortis Academy

Help
Compare

Rank History for all elementary school students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 55.14 883rd 1565 43.6%
2008 66.85 581st 1577 63.2%
2009 62.56 739th 1589 53.5%
2010 62.61 767th 1552 50.6%
2011 64.75 631st 1552 59.3%
2012 52.70 789th 1566 49.6%
2013 48.64 869th 1563 44.4%
2014 52.44 790th 1533 48.5%
2015 58.41 655th 1580 58.5%
2016 54.90 698th 1548 54.9%
2017 51.44 659th 1466 55.0%
2018 54.48 708th 1448 51.1%
2019 41.24 818th 1408 41.9%
2021 18.98 978th 1153 15.2%
2022 25.14 996th 1344 25.9%
2023 37.05 893rd 1470 39.3%
2024 31.61 995th 1486 33.0%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 40.53 5th 10 50.0%
2023 49.52 31st 81 61.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.83 152nd 270 43.7%
2023 20.98 149th 180 17.2%
2024 17.40 162nd 184 12.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.06 493rd 1397 64.7%
2019 54.23 474th 1134 58.2%
2021 35.61 517th 749 31.0%
2022 29.28 805th 1099 26.8%
2023 46.09 695th 1350 48.5%
2024 39.09 825th 1381 40.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.54 741st 1443 48.6%
2019 45.82 636th 1171 45.7%
2021 21.62 759th 902 15.9%
2022 22.59 901st 1106 18.5%
2023 35.69 830th 1321 37.2%
2024 29.53 958th 1342 28.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.91 666th 1446 53.9%
2019 28.36 880th 1196 26.4%
2021 14.83 826th 915 9.7%
2022 18.70 956th 1139 16.1%
2023 29.54 930th 1334 30.3%
2024 26.47 984th 1347 26.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.94 57th 475 88.0%
2019 58.86 73rd 212 65.6%
2022 48.92 70th 158 55.7%
2023 64.14 74th 321 76.9%
2024 62.21 91st 348 73.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.91 57th 222 74.3%
2019 74.77 13th 86 84.9%
2022 55.93 32nd 86 62.8%
2023 39.45 108th 188 42.6%
2024 39.46 107th 201 46.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.97 208th 1253 83.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Fortis Academy

Help
Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 70.32 259th 823 68.5%
2008 69.30 277th 839 67.0%
2009 71.11 261st 847 69.2%
2010 66.64 353rd 851 58.5%
2011 72.21 230th 858 73.2%
2012 57.41 380th 900 57.8%
2013 60.91 333rd 919 63.8%
2014 55.06 427th 921 53.6%
2015 67.31 254th 919 72.4%
2016 56.55 365th 894 59.2%
2017 49.15 359th 821 56.3%
2018 68.39 252nd 838 69.9%
2019 52.10 339th 792 57.2%
2021 48.03 301st 675 55.4%
2022 52.75 319th 776 58.9%
2023 49.46 393rd 883 55.5%
2024 46.86 446th 897 50.3%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 78.22 28th 176 84.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.05 179th 815 78.0%
2019 63.65 186th 672 72.3%
2021 67.79 110th 523 79.0%
2022 64.99 164th 691 76.3%
2023 60.82 255th 825 69.1%
2024 50.35 361st 836 56.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.36 265th 794 66.6%
2019 45.17 341st 658 48.2%
2021 45.06 246th 521 52.8%
2022 53.61 244th 657 62.9%
2023 46.88 369th 770 52.1%
2024 40.88 435th 771 43.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.29 205th 797 74.3%
2019 50.31 279th 639 56.3%
2021 48.46 234th 540 56.7%
2022 42.36 350th 658 46.8%
2023 42.64 425th 776 45.2%
2024 44.41 418th 786 46.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.27 26th 366 92.9%
2019 63.84 56th 196 71.4%
2021 68.92 16th 77 79.2%
2022 78.41 22nd 182 87.9%
2023 60.74 95th 310 69.4%
2024 57.42 98th 300 67.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 41.01 144th 246 41.5%
2024 32.23 179th 257 30.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Fortis Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.76 22nd 678 96.8%
2023 68.97 173rd 688 74.9%
2024 68.68 170th 701 75.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Fortis Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

by a citizen
Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Open Quote I think that this school as a whole is wonderful. However, the middle school Dean is an abomination and should not be allowed to influence students in any way. Her attire is mostly inapropriate for an educational building and she has a very foul mouth with the middle school students. Complaints have been made about her behavior but nothing has been done by the leaders of the school and the bad influence on the students continues. It is sad that such a good school must be so poorly represented in this way. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Fortis Academy

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 142 114 30 5 0 n/a n/a 41 332
2006 227 250 47 32 2 n/a n/a 0 558
2007 282 276 65 26 1 n/a n/a 1 651
2008 278 317 76 29 1 n/a n/a 0 701
2009 267 348 72 35 2 n/a n/a 0 724
2010 237 376 81 42 1 n/a n/a 0 737
2011 205 342 73 35 14 4 61 0 734
2012 188 299 51 58 1 1 66 0 664
2013 180 286 47 59 4 2 63 0 641
2014 179 280 53 75 3 2 66 0 658
2015 151 355 46 87 4 1 56 0 700
2016 141 386 41 102 4 3 61 0 738
2017 128 383 32 112 6 2 64 0 727
2018 112 387 38 114 3 3 63 0 720
2019 112 375 42 135 1 3 77 0 745
2020 94 339 32 130 1 1 76 0 673
2021 93 344 28 136 1 1 84 0 687
2022 89 293 23 145 1 1 77 0 629
2023 85 278 14 175 4 0 82 0 638

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fortis Academy

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 332 19.0 17.5 40.5
2006 558 20.0 27.9 28.3
2007 651 29.0 22.4 25.8
2008 701 35.3 19.9 34.1
2009 724 36.5 19.8 38.3
2010 737 31.7 23.2 46.9
2011 734 35.0 20.9 52.2
2012 664 33.0 20.1 58.7
2013 641 38.0 16.8 62.4
2014 658 37.0 17.7 63.2
2015 700 36.0 19.4 66.7
2016 738 36.0 20.5 68.3
2017 727 37.0 19.6 69.5
2018 720 40.0 17.9 76.5
2019 745 41.5 17.9 79.1
2020 673 37.3 18.0 82.5
2021 687 38.6 17.7 86
2022 629 38.0 16.5 84.1
2023 638 39.3 16.2 88.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fortis Academy

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 332 19.0 17.5 40.5
2006 558 20.0 27.9 28.3
2007 651 29.0 22.4 25.8
2008 701 35.3 19.9 34.1
2009 724 36.5 19.8 38.3
2010 737 31.7 23.2 46.9
2011 734 35.0 20.9 52.2
2012 664 33.0 20.1 58.7
2013 641 38.0 16.8 62.4
2014 658 37.0 17.7 63.2
2015 700 36.0 19.4 66.7
2016 738 36.0 20.5 68.3
2017 727 37.0 19.6 69.5
2018 720 40.0 17.9 76.5
2019 745 41.5 17.9 79.1
2020 673 37.3 18.0 82.5
2021 687 38.6 17.7 86
2022 629 38.0 16.5 84.1
2023 638 39.3 16.2 88.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fortis Academy

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $972 (9.7%) $9,030 (90.3%) $10,002
2020 $1,071 (10.3%) $9,287 (89.7%) $10,358
2021 $1,402 (13.1%) $9,305 (86.9%) $10,708
2022 $2,510 (20.2%) $9,916 (79.8%) $12,426
2023 $2,024 (15.6%) $10,988 (84.4%) $13,012

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fortis Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 818th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 893rd of 1470 Elementary schools
 2.7%
Ranks 339th of 792 Middle schoolsRanks 393rd of 883 Middle schools
 1.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)34.235.5
 1.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)34.235.5
 1.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Fortis Academy)33.335.5
 2.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Fortis Academy)33.335.5
 2.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)42.736.6
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)42.736.6
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)25.322.5
 2.8%
   4th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)25.322.5
 2.8%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)57.144.8
 12.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)57.144.8
 12.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)32.916.4
 16.5%
   5th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)32.916.4
 16.5%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Fortis Academy)25.913.4
 12.5%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Fortis Academy)25.913.4
 12.5%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)38.239.5
 1.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)38.239.5
 1.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)41.737.5
 4.2%
6th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)31.224.7
 6.5%
   6th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)31.224.7
 6.5%
   6th Grade Math (Michigan)35.129.6
 5.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)46.333.9
 12.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)46.333.9
 12.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)42.736.9
 5.8%
7th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)31.333.9
 2.6%
   7th Grade Math (Fortis Academy)31.333.9
 2.6%
   7th Grade Math (Michigan)35.731
 4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Fortis Academy)31.129.4
 1.7%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Fortis Academy)31.129.4
 1.7%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)2826.7
 1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)6347.1
 15.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Fortis Academy)6347.1
 15.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)61.959.7
 2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fortis Academy)43.227.9
 15.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Fortis Academy)43.227.9
 15.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)41.436.3
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students745638
 14.4%
African American375278
 25.9%
American Indian14
 300%
Asian4214
 66.7%
Hispanic135175
 29.6%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White11285
 24.1%
Two or More Races7782
 6.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients79.1%88.7%
 9.7%


Schools Near Fortis Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about Fortis Academy

Fortis Academy ranks 995th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 638 students attended Fortis Academy.

Students at Fortis Academy are 44% African American, 27% Hispanic, 13% White, 13% Two or more races, 2% Asian.


Rate Fortis Academy!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Fortis Academy!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 36 milliseconds.