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Ralph J Bunche Academy

Q: Is Ralph J Bunche Academy a good school?

Ralph J Bunche Academy ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Michigan elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Ralph J Bunche Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended Ralph J Bunche Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ralph J Bunche Academy?

Students at Ralph J Bunche Academy are 78% African American, 14% Hispanic, 6% White, 2% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Ralph J Bunche Academy attend?

Students who attend Ralph J Bunche Academy usually go on to attend: Middle : Grandport Academy High : Ecorse Community High School

Public Grades 1-4

1492^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 0% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Ralph J Bunche Academy is a small elementary school in Ecorse, MI, serving 316 students in grades 1 through 4 as part of the Ecorse Public Schools district, where 83.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school is facing serious challenges that parents should understand. For the 2025-2026 school year, Ralph J Bunche Academy ranks last in Michigan—1492nd out of 1492 schools—placing it in the bottom percentile statewide. Academic proficiency is very low: only 7.8% of 3rd graders and 8.1% of 4th graders are proficient in English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 38.2% and 41.3%. Math scores are even lower, with just 3.33% of 3rd graders and 5.8% of 4th graders meeting state standards. These scores are the lowest among nearby schools; for example, Keppen School achieves 52.9% proficiency in 3rd-grade ELA, more than six times higher.

The most striking issue is chronic absenteeism. In the 2024-2025 school year, 71.1% of students were chronically absent—more than 2.5 times the state average of 27.9% and the highest rate among all comparable schools. This rate has stayed above 66% for four straight years, and it is even higher than nearby Ann Visger K5 Preparatory Academy (62.2%), which serves a similarly high-need population. The school also has a very high student-teacher ratio of 26.3, compared to 14.0 at Raupp School. Despite spending $16,752 per student—more than Allendale Elementary School—performance has declined, with 4th-grade ELA proficiency dropping from 21.9% in 2023-2024 to 8.1% most recently. While 3rd-grade ELA showed slight improvement in 2022-2023, the combination of extreme absenteeism and large class sizes makes sustained progress difficult. Parents considering this school should be aware that attendance support and academic intervention are critical needs.

316

Students ?

26.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,752

Per pupil spending ?

83.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

503 Hyacinthe St
Ecorse, MI 48229-1315

(313) 294-4710

District: Ecorse Public Schools

Students who attend Ralph J Bunche Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Grandport Academy
High:	Ecorse Community High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.5%

Hispanic:

13.9%

White:

6.3%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Ralph J Bunche Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 5th percentile in 2007 → <1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (6% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (71% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school6%

District avg6%

Michigan avg40%

1,492^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 4 pts since 2023

From bottom 4% (2023) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	4.2	1492 of 1492	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.3	1375 of 1486	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.3	1411 of 1470	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.8	1586 of 1589	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.7	1550 of 1577	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.9	1489 of 1565	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.7	381 of 388	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	292 of 321	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	4.3	1339 of 1343	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	1291 of 1342	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.7	1286 of 1321	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	5.4	1351 of 1352	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	1265 of 1381	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.7	1291 of 1350	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	6.5	1285 of 1334	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2023)4th percentile~ school

African American (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts8%-32 vs state

Math5%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ralph J Bunche 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT 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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th 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 Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ralph J Bunche Academy	Public	1-4	503 Hyacinthe St	Ecorse	48229	Wayne County	Ecorse Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 294-4710	316	12	26.3	83.5%	20 (6.3%)	245 (77.5%)	44 (13.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	4.2	1492^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	0.0%					(n/a)			7.8	8.1				3.3	5.8								$16,752	$3,192	$13,560
Brenda Hague Early Learning Village	Public	PK-K	50 W Josephine St	Ecorse	48229	Wayne County	Ecorse Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(313) 294-4750	85	8	10.8	87.1%	8 (9.4%)	64 (75.3%)	9 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)								(n/a)																	$21,326	$2,171	$19,155
Raupp School	Public	PK, KG-5	1351 Ethel Ave	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0226	261	19	14.0	94.3%	67 (25.7%)	70 (26.8%)	105 (40.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.9%)	19.1	1193^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.0%		14.7	1264^th of 1488 public elementary schools	15.1%	71			36.1	20.8	30.3			25.0	12.5	1467.6			15.6		9.4		$21,623	$2,680	$18,943
Mark Twain ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	12800 Visger St	Detroit	48217	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 386-5530	251	17	14.7	91.2%	2 (0.8%)	208 (82.9%)	30 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)	12	1329^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.9%		13.8	1279^th of 1488 public elementary schools	14.0%	50	28.1	15.6	1263.0	11.8	19.0	12.5	21.2	15.2	9.1	14.3	19.4	18.2	19.0	1773.1	7.1	18.8	$24,774	$2,109	$22,665
Ann Visger K5 Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	11121 W Jefferson Ave	River Rouge	48218	Wayne County	River Rouge School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 297-9648	625	30	20.8	86.9%	40 (6.4%)	473 (75.7%)	69 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.2%)	4.9	1484^th of 1492 public elementary schools	0.5%		4.4	1484^th of 1488 public elementary schools	0.3%				10.5	3.6	10.5			15.1	2.7	1453.4			4.8		3.9		$18,001	$1,486	$16,515
Lafayette School	Public	PK, KG-5	1360 Lafayette Blvd	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0224	441	27	16.5	97.5%	107 (24.3%)	70 (15.9%)	244 (55.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)	15.7	1259^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.6%		18.2	1190^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.0%	69			17.3	31.9	31.1			14.7	15.3	8.2			19.7		6.6		$21,360	$2,702	$18,658
Keppen School	Public	PK, KG-5	661 Mill St	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0232	332	19	17.7	87.3%	93 (28.0%)	62 (18.7%)	149 (44.9%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.2%)	28.4	1027^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.2%		24.3	1090^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.7%	63			52.9	25.9	40.4			32.7	13.8	9.6			23.1		9.6		$19,429	$2,559	$16,869
River Rouge Stem Academy at Dunn	Public	PK, KG-8	163 Burke St	River Rouge	48218	Wayne County	River Rouge School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 297-9663	370	21	17.6	78.9%	14 (3.8%)	320 (86.5%)	23 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)	12.2	1327^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.1%		17.1	1221^st of 1488 public elementary schools	17.9%	106	43.2	18.2	15.4	20.5	22.7	14.5	21.7	23.1	6.7	6.8	11.3	12.8	18.2	25.0	1476.1	29.5	$17,609	$2,515	$15,095
Allendale Elementary School	Public	K-3	3201 Oakwood Blvd	Melvindale	48122	Wayne County	Melvindale-Northern Allen Park Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-4664	914	43	21.2	91.8%	644 (70.5%)	64 (7.0%)	174 (19.0%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.4%)								(n/a)			14.7					17.7									$15,948	$2,133	$13,815
Mohamed Said Elementary School	Public	4-5	3303 Oakwood Blvd	Melvindale	48122	Wayne County	Melvindale-Northern Allen Park Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(313) 203-3600	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	11.7	1337^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.4%					(n/a)				17.5	23.3				16.5	11.9			16.5		3.7

Frequently Asked Questions about Ralph J Bunche Academy

Is Ralph J Bunche Academy a good school?

Ralph J Bunche Academy ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Ralph J Bunche Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended Ralph J Bunche Academy.

What schools do graduates of Ralph J Bunche Academy attend?

Students who attend Ralph J Bunche Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Grandport Academy
High : Ecorse Community High School

What is the racial makeup of Ralph J Bunche Academy?

Students at Ralph J Bunche Academy are 78% African American, 14% Hispanic, 6% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Ralph J Bunche Academy in?

Ecorse Public Schools

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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.