AdamsYoung Building

AdamsYoung Building is an elementary school in Detroit, MI, serving 520 students in grades K-5 under the Lincoln-King Adams-Young Academy district. The school faces severe challenges that set it apart from nearly every other school in the area.

The most alarming issue is the student-to-teacher ratio, which reached an extraordinary 65:1 in 2024-2025. This means one teacher is responsible for 65 students—a number that makes individualized instruction nearly impossible. For context, nearby Martin Luther King Junior Education Center Academy has a ratio of 23:1, and most other area schools average around 15-18:1. This staffing crisis has worsened dramatically over the past three years, jumping from 34:1 to 52:1 to the current 65:1. Academic performance reflects these struggles: only 5.1% of 3rd graders are proficient in math (state average: 42.9%), and just 10.6% of 4th graders are proficient in English Language Arts (state average: 41.3%). The school ranks in the 1st percentile statewide, placing it among the lowest-performing schools in Michigan.

Chronic absenteeism is another critical concern, with 70.1% of students missing significant school time in 2024-2025—more than double the state average of 27.9%. This rate has remained above 56% for four consecutive years. What makes these numbers particularly striking is the comparison with Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies (FLICS), located just 0.9 miles away. FLICS serves a similar student population but has only a 20.4% chronic absenteeism rate and ranks in the 64th percentile statewide. This nearby success demonstrates that the challenges at AdamsYoung are not inevitable—they stem from school-specific issues rather than neighborhood circumstances. While per-student spending at $13,222 is lower than some peers, schools like Detroit Achievement Academy spend a similar amount and achieve far better results, suggesting the core problem lies in how resources are used, particularly in addressing the staffing shortage.