Brewer Academy

Brewer Academy is an elementary school in Detroit, MI, serving 441 students in grades PK through 8 within the Detroit Public Schools Community District, where nearly all students (96.6%) come from economically disadvantaged households.

The most pressing challenge at Brewer Academy is an extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 84.1%—meaning more than 8 in 10 students miss significant school time. This is far above the district average of 60.9% and nearly triple the state average of 27.9%. While neighboring district schools also struggle with attendance, Brewer's rate is the highest among its immediate public school peers, and it has remained stubbornly above 80% for four straight years. The impact on learning is clear: Brewer ranks in the bottom 2% of Michigan elementary schools. However, a closer look at nearby schools shows this outcome isn't inevitable. Pulaski ElementaryMiddle School, serving a similarly high-poverty population just a few miles away, has a chronic absenteeism rate of only 29.2% and outperforms Brewer in most subjects—particularly in 8th grade, where 35% of Pulaski students are proficient in PSAT ELA versus just 15.1% at Brewer. Similarly, Regent Park Scholars Charter Academy, located just 0.6 miles away, achieves proficiency rates double or triple Brewer's despite serving a comparable student body.

There are a few bright spots worth noting. Brewer showed relative strength in 7th-grade math, with 18.4% proficiency—surpassing the district average and outperforming nearby schools like Fisher Magnet Academy (4%) and Edward Duke Ellington at Beckham (14.3%). The school also spends a substantial $20,705 per student—more than nearby charters like Regent Park Scholars ($14,100)—yet this funding hasn't translated into consistent academic gains. Tracking the same group of students over time reveals volatile progress: one cohort improved from 5.66% ELA proficiency in 5th grade to 18.2% by 7th grade, while another cohort dropped from 8.89% to 4.62% between 5th and 6th grade. For parents, this suggests that while individual teachers or grade-level teams may be effective, the school lacks a systematic approach to sustaining academic growth—and that improving attendance must be the top priority for meaningful change.