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Caniff Liberty Academy

Q: Is Caniff Liberty Academy a good school?

Caniff Liberty Academy ranks 749 th of 1492 Michigan alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades PK, KG-9

749^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Alternative Schools

Better than 50% of Michigan alternative schools

Summary

Caniff Liberty Academy in Hamtramck, MI, is a public school serving 590 students in grades PK through 9, operating as its own district and serving a community where over 95% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most remarkable story at Caniff Liberty Academy is its dramatic turnaround in student attendance. Chronic absenteeism plummeted from a staggering 75.7% in the 2023-2024 school year to just 21.5% in 2024-2025—a 54-point improvement that now puts the school well below the state average of 27.9%. This suggests a major cultural shift that has successfully re-engaged students. Academically, the school shows real strengths in early-grade math, with 4th and 5th graders scoring 50% and 46.4% proficiency respectively—both well above state averages. English Language Arts scores are also climbing, with 3rd-grade proficiency jumping from 18% to 40.6% over two years. When compared to nearby Bridge Impact, just 0.6 miles away, Caniff outperforms it in 3rd-grade ELA (40.6% vs. 38.9%) and math (38.6% vs. 27.8%), making it a competitive option for elementary families in the area.

However, the picture is more complex in middle school. While early grades thrive, 8th-grade performance lags significantly, with science proficiency at just 14.1% compared to the state's 39.2%. The school also maintains a high student-to-teacher ratio of 30.6:1, meaning larger class sizes. Interestingly, Caniff spends less per student ($13,116) than many peers like Detroit International Academy for Young Women ($25,584) or DPSCD Virtual School ($27,470), yet has achieved notable success in attendance and early-grade academics. This suggests the recent improvements stem from strategic initiatives and staff culture rather than new funding. For parents, Caniff Liberty Academy appears to be a school that has solved its attendance crisis and is now building academic momentum from the ground up—a promising trajectory worth watching.

590

Students ?

30.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,116

Per pupil spending ?

95.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2650 Caniff St
Hamtramck, MI 48212-3033

(248) 327-7673

District: Caniff Liberty Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.4%

Asian:

28.6%

African American:

8.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Caniff Liberty Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2022 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (33% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2022

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

Michigan avg40%

Elementary school

749^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

601^st of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 33%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle 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	46.6	749 of 1492	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.4	975 of 1488	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	947 of 1486	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.0	1075 of 1470	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.4	628 of 1344	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	21.0	940 of 1153	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.2	781 of 1408	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	935 of 1448	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	17.8	1196 of 1466	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.1	1274 of 1548	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.0	1427 of 1580	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	55.5	164 of 475	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	74 of 100	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	85 of 95	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	88 of 97	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.6	81 of 84	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	46 of 51	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.1	35 of 36	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	89 of 101	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	53.5	70 of 188	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.1	114 of 173	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.3	123 of 184	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	116 of 180	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.8	26 of 98	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	48.9	62 of 117	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.6	96 of 270	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	41.2	738 of 1343	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.1	1010 of 1338	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	1024 of 1342	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	1018 of 1321	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.3	506 of 1106	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.6	706 of 1171	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.1	875 of 1443	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	66.7	352 of 1352	74.0%	★★★★☆
2025	52.1	605 of 1346	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.3	613 of 1381	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	823 of 1350	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	73.9	177 of 1099	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	40.2	460 of 749	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	258 of 1134	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	58.1	563 of 1397	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	758 of 1372	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	884 of 1366	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	885 of 1347	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.4	1035 of 1334	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.3	638 of 1139	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.4	773 of 1196	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.4	965 of 1446	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	935 of 1199	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	1087 of 1206	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	992 of 1204	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	990 of 1198	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.4	470 of 1102	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.5	933 of 1128	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1040 of 1253	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	601 of 896	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.2	545 of 890	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.5	601 of 897	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.4	632 of 883	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	538 of 776	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.6	547 of 675	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	565 of 792	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.0	554 of 838	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.8	545 of 821	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	16.8	740 of 894	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.4	788 of 919	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.4	80 of 87	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.8	82 of 85	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.4	86 of 88	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.1	85 of 87	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.9	54 of 57	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.8	46 of 48	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	98 of 104	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	69 of 108	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.7	57 of 106	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	45 of 88	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.8	47 of 72	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.3	11 of 38	71.1%	★★★★☆
2019	52.6	20 of 46	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	40 of 154	74.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.8	605 of 789	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.1	550 of 789	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.3	553 of 771	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	568 of 770	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.5	450 of 657	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	411 of 658	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	561 of 794	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	441 of 834	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.6	341 of 832	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	446 of 836	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.8	478 of 825	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	353 of 691	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.4	303 of 523	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.7	350 of 672	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.4	368 of 815	54.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.3	550 of 813	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	461 of 798	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.1	541 of 786	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.1	546 of 776	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.7	342 of 658	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.9	477 of 639	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.8	453 of 797	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.9	639 of 687	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	537 of 696	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.4	512 of 701	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	568 of 688	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	422 of 638	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.3	468 of 624	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.6	606 of 678	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile+24 vs school

African American (2018)65th percentile+30 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)63rd percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)45th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2026)26th percentile-24 vs school

White (2026)22nd percentile-28 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)36th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile-10 vs school

Asian (2026)8th percentile-25 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math38%~ state avg

English Language Arts32%-8 vs state

Science27%-13 vs state

Social Studies25%-14 vs state

Mathematics25%-8 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, January 23, 2018

grt school. amazing principal. got much better Close Quote

Schools Near Caniff Liberty 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
Caniff Liberty Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-9	2650 Caniff St	Hamtramck	48212	Wayne County	Caniff Liberty Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 327-7673	590	19	30.6	95.6%	362 (61.4%)	48 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	169 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)								(n/a)	52.5			25.0					40.6	33.9	33.3	24.5	26.6	38.6	50.0	46.4	26.5	26.6	41.1	14.1		17.9	31.3		$13,116	$1,877	$11,239
Bridge Impact	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3105 Carpenter St	Detroit	48212	Wayne County	Bridge Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 462-6100	392	10	39.2	99.2%	313 (79.8%)	7 (1.8%)	4 (1.0%)	67 (17.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	37.5	24.2	32.0	340.6	350.6	10.0	17.5	371.0	38.9	1366.5	1471.0	25.0	26.5	27.8	1357.2	1458.8	15.6	11.8	1471.5	1768.6	2068.7	1455.8	1780.6	9.5	$9,986	$41	$9,945
Frontier International Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	13200 Conant St	Detroit	48212	Wayne County	Frontier International Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 462-6300	737	45	16.4	100.0%	571 (77.5%)	18 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	146 (19.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		35.3	27.7		14.1	12.8	27.0	10.9	24.1	1373.9	17.9			20.7	23.8	32.1			1474.6		16.3	1465.3		30.4	$12,358	$1,847	$10,510
Infinity Institute of Learning Wayne County Juvenile Detenti	Public, Charter, Alternative	4-12	5301 Russell St	Detroit	48215	Wayne County	Infinity Institute of Learning (SDA)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 218-4206	124	9	13.9	97.6%	10 (8.1%)	111 (89.5%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			20.0			326.0	360.6	296.7													2068.6			2080.1	$20,067	$2,705	$17,361
Detroit International Academy for Young Women	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	5161 Charles St	Detroit	48212	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 873-3050	248	21	11.6	83.9%	76 (30.6%)	100 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (27.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)								(n/a)	50.0	34.4	42.1	33.3	367.9	360.5	480.0	478.3	22.2	66.7	50.0	1575.7	44.4	22.2	60.0	33.3	1570.5	22.2	25.0	27.8	45.5	25.0	66.7	2122.9	$25,584	$2,518	$23,066
DPSCD Virtual School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	9026 Woodward Ave	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	Yes	No	(313) 873-6897	176	20	9.0	76.1%	6 (3.4%)	159 (90.3%)	10 (5.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	60.0	31.8	50.0	15.0	347.3	364.2	37.0	355.2		1370.5	1465.9	16.7	14.3		1361.6	1449.5	1559.7	14.3	1469.4	23.5	2072.5	1461.6	41.2	19.1	$27,470	$1,336	$26,134
Cornerstone JeffersonDouglass Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	6861 E Nevada St	Detroit	48234	Wayne County	Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglass Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 522-7602	541	10	54.1	88.5%	0 (0.0%)	537 (99.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)								(n/a)	50.0			9.5					18.9	14.9	21.4	15.0	27.8	15.1	4.1	7.2	1559.6	15.4	10.0	16.3		5.7	23.3		$15,101	$1,855	$13,246
Joy Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	15055 Dexter Ave	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Joy Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 340-0023	161	12	13.3	99.4%	0 (0.0%)	159 (98.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	61.5			390.0					21.4	18.2	25.0	31.3	38.9	1283.3	13.6	1461.1	1572.7	1669.7	1476.5	30.8		1470.8	53.9		$00	$00	$00
Michigan Virtual Charter Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1620 E Elza Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Michigan Virtual Charter Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(616) 309-1600	3,199	163	19.6	76.4%	1,601 (50.0%)	923 (28.9%)	315 (9.8%)	44 (1.4%)	20 (0.6%)	1 (0.0%)	295 (9.2%)								(n/a)	46.6	37.6	50.4	6.8	7.0	8.4	26.8	386.3	4.0	12.4	13.5	14.4	13.4	2.3	6.2	5.0	6.0	5.6	9.4	15.9	18.7	3.5	23.9	19.9	$10,717	$1,212	$9,506
Advantage Alternative Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	1620 E Elza Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 658-5280	150	6	25.0	84.0%	29 (19.3%)	109 (72.7%)	11 (7.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		323.1	18.8		289.4	320.6	382.4	333.8													2070.5			2077.3	$15,714	$863	$14,851

Frequently Asked Questions about Caniff Liberty Academy

What district is Caniff Liberty Academy in?

Caniff Liberty Academy

How many students attend Caniff Liberty Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 590 students attended Caniff Liberty Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Caniff Liberty Academy?

Students at Caniff Liberty Academy are 61% White, 29% Asian, 8% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Caniff Liberty Academy a good school?

Caniff Liberty Academy ranks 749^th of 1492 Michigan alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.