Mason Academy

Summary:

Mason Academy is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Detroit, Michigan, a predominantly African American community. With over 97% of its students identifying as such, the school faces significant challenges in academic performance, chronic absenteeism, and serving a low-income student population.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio, Mason Academy consistently performs poorly on standardized tests compared to state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 8.51% of 3rd graders and 5.56% of 6th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, far below the state averages of 39.6% and 37.5%, respectively. The school's math proficiency rates are also alarmingly low, with only 10.6% of 3rd graders and 6.67% of 6th graders meeting or exceeding standards. Additionally, Mason Academy has extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 56.7% to 92% over the past five school years, significantly higher than the state average.

Comparing Mason Academy to nearby schools, such as Great Oaks Academy and Davison ElementaryMiddle School, highlights the stark disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes. While these nearby schools have more diverse student populations, Mason Academy's predominantly African American student body and low-income community likely contribute to the school's challenges. Despite increased spending per student, from $15,702 in 2019-2020 to $21,025 in 2022-2023, the data suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to the school's problems. Targeted interventions and support are needed to address the unique needs of the Mason Academy community and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

19955 Fenelon St
Detroit, MI 48234-2273

(313) 866-3600

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1464^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,025

Students who attend Mason Academy usually attend:

High:

Pershing High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 381

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.9%

White:

0.5%

Asian:

0.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mason Academy ranks worse than 98.5% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 53^rd among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (97.9%), Asian (0.5%), two or more races (0.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mason Academy is 14.9, which is the 21^st best among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Mason Academy employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mason Academy is $21,025, which is the 34^th highest among 64 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mason Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Mason Academy 1464^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Mason Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Detroit Public Schools Community District:

SchoolDigger ranks Detroit Public Schools Community District 563^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Mason Academy

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Rank History for all students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.00	1464^th	1486	1.5%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.73	1393^rd	1397	0.3%
2024	5.82	1367^th	1381	1.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.07	1431^st	1443	0.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.97	1440^th	1446	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	14.78	471^st	475	0.8%
2024	12.64	338^th	348	2.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

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

Rank History for Mason Academy

Compare

Rank History for all students at Mason Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.71	815^th	815	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.44	791^st	794	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.80	796^th	797	0.1%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Mason Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	12.58	366^th	366	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary 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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Mason Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	370	0	3	0	2	3	378
2018	0	406	1	3	1	2	0	413
2019	0	368	2	2	1	1	4	378
2020	0	421	0	0	1	2	0	424
2021	0	430	0	0	0	4	1	435
2022	1	367	0	0	0	0	0	368
2023	2	373	2	0	1	1	2	381

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 Mason Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	378	19.3	19.5	79.9
2018	413	21.0	19.6	88.6
2019	378	25.5	14.8	89.7
2020	424	27.5	15.4	83.7
2021	435	24.5	17.7	88.3
2022	368	19.5	18.8	89.1
2023	381	25.5	14.9	92.1

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 Mason Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	378	19.3	19.5	79.9
2018	413	21.0	19.6	88.6
2019	378	25.5	14.8	89.7
2020	424	27.5	15.4	83.7
2021	435	24.5	17.7	88.3
2022	368	19.5	18.8	89.1
2023	381	25.5	14.9	92.1

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 Mason Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,110 (14.3%)	$12,674 (85.7%)	$14,784
2020	$4,685 (29.8%)	$11,017 (70.2%)	$15,702
2021	$2,073 (13.1%)	$13,742 (86.9%)	$15,815
2022	$6,613 (32.6%)	$13,696 (67.4%)	$20,309
2023	$6,354 (30.2%)	$14,671 (69.8%)	$21,025

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mason Academy

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 Students	378	381	0.8%
African American	368	373	1.4%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	2	0	100%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	0	2
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.7%	92.1%	2.4%

Schools Near Mason Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)					M-Step Math (2024)					M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Mason Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	19955 Fenelon St	Detroit	48234	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-3600	381	26	14.9	92.1%	2 (0.5%)	373 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	5	1464^th of 1486 public elementary schools	1.5%					(n/a)	10.6		8.5			5.6		10.6									$21,025	$6,354	$14,671
Dove Academy of Detroit	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	20001 Wexford St	Detroit	48234	Wayne County	Dove Academy of Detroit	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 366-9110	477	29	16.4	91.8%	0 (0.0%)	475 (99.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.9	1391^st of 1486 public elementary schools	6.4%		5.1	1442^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	1.9%	51	31.0		5.6	13.6	9.1	18.4	16.2	7.4	9.1		14.3		6.8	10.3			$12,304	$3,411	$8,893
Mound Park Elementary School	Public	4-5	5356 Toepfer Rd	Warren	48091	Macomb County	Fitzgerald Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 757-7590	260	20	12.9	87.3%	49 (18.8%)	109 (41.9%)	17 (6.5%)	45 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (15.4%)	12.1	1307^th of 1486 public elementary schools	12.0%		13.6	1252^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	14.8%	55				24.7	17.5				12.2	14.8			17.2		5.5		$17,214	$4,301	$12,913
Legacy Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4900 E Hildale St	Detroit	48234	Wayne County	Legacy Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(877) 223-6402	739	41	18.2	98.4%	2 (0.3%)	693 (93.8%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.7%)	31.1	1004^th of 1486 public elementary schools	32.4%		17	1207^th of 1470 public elementary schools	17.9%	203	39.4	15.2	40.5	27.1	36.8	11.5	38.0	44.3	31.8	33.8	12.8	21.1	13.2	24.2		10.6	$12,426	$1,941	$10,485
Schofield Elementary School	Public	K	21555 Warner Ave	Warren	48091	Macomb County	Fitzgerald Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 757-5150	156	15	10.4	89.7%	24 (15.4%)	66 (42.3%)	6 (3.8%)	40 (25.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (12.8%)								(n/a)																	$21,579	$2,385	$19,193
Marion Law Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	19411 Cliff St	Detroit	48234	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-3400	362	22	16.3	90.9%	0 (0.0%)	361 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12	1309^th of 1486 public elementary schools	11.9%					(n/a)	19.2		17.1		22.9	7.0	16.7	20.0		14.3	6.7		22.9				$21,672	$6,261	$15,411
Great Oaks Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4257 Bart Ave	Warren	48091	Macomb County	Great Oaks Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(586) 427-4540	744	38	19.5	92.2%	9 (1.2%)	627 (84.3%)	10 (1.3%)	42 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.5%)	39	868^th of 1486 public elementary schools	41.6%		39.5	859^th of 1470 public elementary schools	41.6%	9	62.5	31.9	30.9	40.0	44.9	51.9	50.7	30.9	28.2	29.5	22.8	22.5	30.8	38.4	9.0	31.5	$12,519	$1,874	$10,645
Commonwealth Community Development Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	PK, KG-8	13477 Eureka St	Hamtramck	48212	Wayne County	Commonwealth Community Development Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 366-9470	159	11	15.1	94.3%	6 (3.8%)	152 (95.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	53.9			18.8				28.6						30.8			$13,920	$5,995	$7,925
Nolan ElementaryMiddle School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	1150 E Lantz St	Detroit	48203	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 866-7730	449	24	18.5	94.7%	0 (0.0%)	444 (98.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5.4	1455^th of 1486 public elementary schools	2.1%					(n/a)	22.9		12.8	5.8	9.5		7.8	8.5	7.7	9.5			7.1				$20,654	$7,536	$13,119
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-5	22100 Federal Ave	Warren	48089	Macomb County	Van Dyke Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(586) 758-8342	355	26	13.6	96.9%	58 (16.3%)	250 (70.4%)	8 (2.3%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.3%)	11.4	1322^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	11.0%		20.7	1133^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	22.9%	189			22.2	15.6	19.7			25.5	15.6	9.8			10.0		4.9		$17,580	$3,405	$14,175

Frequently Asked Questions about Mason Academy

How many students attend Mason Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 381 students attended Mason Academy.

Is Mason Academy a good school?

Mason Academy ranks in the bottom 1.5% of Michigan elementary schools.

What district is Mason Academy in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

What is the racial makeup of Mason Academy?

Students at Mason Academy are 98% African American.

What schools do graduates of Mason Academy attend?

Students who attend Mason Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Pershing High School

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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.