Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Summary:

Pontiac Academy for Excellence is an alternative public magnet charter school in Pontiac, Michigan, serving 551 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority of African American and Hispanic students.

Pontiac Academy for Excellence has faced significant challenges in recent years, including fluctuating graduation rates (ranging from 58.8% to 93.3%), high dropout rates (up to 29.4%), and alarmingly high chronic absenteeism (reaching 75.8%). Academically, the school's performance on standardized tests is well below the state averages, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math ranging from 8.33% to 16.7% across various grade levels, compared to the state averages of 39.6% to 43.3%. The school's per-student spending has also decreased, from $15,263 in 2020-2021 to $10,440 in 2022-2023, which may be contributing to the challenges.

Compared to nearby schools, Wing Lake Developmental Center, Kingsley Montgomery School, Kennedy Center, Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac, Childrens Village School, Virtual Learning Academy Consortium, and Oakside Prep Academy, Pontiac Academy for Excellence has a significantly higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students, as well as a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students. The school's student-teacher ratio is also higher than the nearby alternative schools.


Detail:

Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative K-12

 196 Cesar E Chavez Ave
       Pontiac, MI  48342-1094


(248) 745-9420

District: Pontiac Academy for Excellence

SchoolDigger Rank:
1410th of 1,486 Michigan Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,440 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  19.8 Help
Number of students:  553

Racial breakdown:

African American:
68.5%
Hispanic:
23.0%
Two or more races:
4.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  95.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pontiac Academy for Excellence ranks worse than 94.9% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.19. (See more...)
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Compare Details Pontiac Academy for Excellence ranks worse than 92.9% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.07. (See more...)
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Compare Details Pontiac Academy for Excellence ranks worse than 91.4% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.42. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a 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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (68.5%), Hispanic (23%), two or more races (4.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 95.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pontiac Academy for Excellence is 19.8. (See more...)
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Compare Pontiac Academy for Excellence employs 27.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pontiac Academy for Excellence is $10,440.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pontiac Academy for Excellence:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontiac Academy for Excellence 1410th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Pontiac Academy for Excellence in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontiac Academy for Excellence 833rd of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Pontiac Academy for Excellence in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontiac Academy for Excellence 679th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Pontiac Academy for Excellence in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:




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Rank History for Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 7.17 1392nd 1470 5.3%
2024 7.19 1410th 1486 5.1%
See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.52 1267th 1350 6.1%
2024 9.50 1301st 1381 5.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 9.91 1216th 1321 7.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 5.03 1314th 1334 1.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.24 249th 321 22.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for African American Students!

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

Rank History for Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Rank History for all middle school students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 9.10 815th 883 7.7%
2024 9.07 833rd 897 7.1%
See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 11.78 758th 825 8.1%
2024 12.23 762nd 836 8.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 8.30 740th 771 4.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 11.56 714th 786 9.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.52 277th 300 7.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.23 197th 246 19.9%
2024 36.93 160th 257 37.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Rank History for all high school students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 14.18 644th 767 16.0%
2008 8.13 673rd 750 10.3%
2009 6.26 710th 754 5.8%
2010 8.75 691st 765 9.7%
2011 18.44 630th 784 19.6%
2012 18.85 606th 773 21.6%
2013 14.00 670th 805 16.8%
2014 7.95 736th 799 7.9%
2015 12.71 734th 832 11.8%
2016 9.34 726th 852 14.8%
2017 6.12 731st 835 12.5%
2018 7.39 739th 824 10.3%
2024 8.42 679th 743 8.6%
See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.87 61st 102 40.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 6.47 701st 755 7.2%
2024 14.88 571st 654 12.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 4.41 666th 710 6.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 6.62 647th 707 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.88 203rd 254 20.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for African American 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.

Pontiac Academy for Excellence Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1998 18 48 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 69
1999 33 127 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 168
2000 63 92 0 17 0 n/a n/a 0 172
2001 39 152 0 45 0 n/a n/a 0 236
2002 73 521 0 82 3 n/a n/a 0 679
2003 73 521 0 82 3 n/a n/a 0 679
2004 89 579 2 105 1 n/a n/a 0 776
2005 101 621 2 148 3 n/a n/a 0 875
2006 92 0 724 202 4 n/a n/a 0 1022
2007 90 734 6 220 6 n/a n/a 0 1056
2008 n/a 1106 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1106
2009 59 825 5 251 1 n/a n/a 0 1141
2010 19 244 4 76 0 n/a n/a 2 345
2011 15 210 1 82 1 0 0 0 309
2012 10 229 0 89 2 0 1 0 331
2013 13 259 7 104 2 0 1 0 386
2014 14 234 6 86 2 0 1 0 343
2015 16 212 5 84 1 0 2 0 320
2016 12 178 1 94 1 0 3 0 289
2017 9 191 2 96 1 0 1 0 300
2018 9 135 0 95 1 0 0 0 240
2019 8 123 0 77 1 0 0 0 209
2020 33 369 6 202 2 0 29 0 641
2021 29 299 6 192 2 0 18 0 546
2022 20 309 7 177 4 0 26 0 543
2023 15 327 9 165 2 0 33 0 551
2024 14 379 4 127 2 0 27 0 553

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 Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 69 3.0 23.0 52.2
1999 168 6.0 28.0 48.2
2000 172 9.0 19.1 49.4
2001 236 16.0 14.8 92.8
2002 679 n/a n/a 70.3
2003 679 n/a n/a 70.3
2004 776 41.0 18.9 88.1
2005 875 48.0 18.2 98.6
2006 1022 51.0 20.0 93.4
2007 1056 57.0 18.5 0
2008 1106 64.0 17.3 91.1
2009 1141 68.0 16.8 96.7
2010 345 26.0 13.2 93.9
2011 309 25.5 12.1 89.3
2012 331 20.0 16.5 70.1
2013 386 21.5 17.9 63.2
2014 343 17.7 19.3 65.9
2015 320 15.0 21.3 71.6
2016 289 20.0 14.4 63.3
2017 300 14.5 20.6 65.3
2018 240 15.5 15.4 72.9
2019 209 10.5 19.9 66
2020 641 30.1 21.2 87.8
2021 546 30.9 17.6 89.2
2022 543 24.0 22.6 89
2023 551 32.0 17.2 96.2
2024 553 27.8 19.8 95.8

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 Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 69 3.0 23.0 52.2
1999 168 6.0 28.0 48.2
2000 172 9.0 19.1 49.4
2001 236 16.0 14.8 92.8
2002 679 n/a n/a 70.3
2003 679 n/a n/a 70.3
2004 776 41.0 18.9 88.1
2005 875 48.0 18.2 98.6
2006 1022 51.0 20.0 93.4
2007 1056 57.0 18.5 0
2008 1106 64.0 17.3 91.1
2009 1141 68.0 16.8 96.7
2010 345 26.0 13.2 93.9
2011 309 25.5 12.1 89.3
2012 331 20.0 16.5 70.1
2013 386 21.5 17.9 63.2
2014 343 17.7 19.3 65.9
2015 320 15.0 21.3 71.6
2016 289 20.0 14.4 63.3
2017 300 14.5 20.6 65.3
2018 240 15.5 15.4 72.9
2019 209 10.5 19.9 66
2020 641 30.1 21.2 87.8
2021 546 30.9 17.6 89.2
2022 543 24.0 22.6 89
2023 551 32.0 17.2 96.2
2024 553 27.8 19.8 95.8

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 Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,033 (14.2%) $12,285 (85.8%) $14,319
2020 $1,975 (15.1%) $11,093 (84.9%) $13,068
2021 $1,438 (9.4%) $13,825 (90.6%) $15,263
2022 $4,316 (37.2%) $7,274 (62.8%) $11,590
2023 $4,542 (43.5%) $5,898 (56.5%) $10,440

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Pontiac Academy for Excellence

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.

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students209551
 163.6%
African American123327
 165.9%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian09
Hispanic77165
 114.3%
Pacific Islander00
White815
 87.5%
Two or More Races033
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients66%96.2%
 30.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Pontiac Academy for Excellence ranks in the bottom 5.1% of Michigan alternative schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 553 students attended Pontiac Academy for Excellence.

Students at Pontiac Academy for Excellence are 69% African American, 23% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% White.


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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.





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