Other / mixed grade configuration · Ionia, MI

Aa Rather School

Federal NCES profile for Aa Rather School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261925005600
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10028/100
👥 S:T ratio
28
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Aa Rather School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.

#2 of 5
schools in Ionia · Resource Index
28
Resource Index · Lower
18.1:1
students per teacher
51.7%
free-lunch eligible

Aa Rather School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Aa Rather School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI.

School address

Ionia, MI 48846
District: Ionia Public Schools · Michigan

NCES ID 261925005600 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+0 students YoY

Aa Rather School held near 321 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 18.0 → 15.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+0 students YoY 261925005600 · Ionia, MI Other · SMALL · TRAD

308 enr · 18.1:1 · 51.7% lunch · RII 28

Nearest enrollment peer: Ionia High School (774 students)

Aa Rather School held near 321 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 18.0 → 15.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Michigan schools → · Find another →

Aa Rather School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Aa Rather School reports 308 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Aa Rather School compares

Aa Rather School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.1:1 ▲ 3% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 51.7% ▼ 5% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 308 top 58% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
308
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible - 5% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher - 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Michigan - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,318
per pupil, district-wide - below Michigan avg of $15,012
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 84.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 0.6%

Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 27.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 27.0, Aa Rather School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

District finance for Ionia Public Schools reports $12,318 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Aa Rather School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Ionia High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Ionia Middle School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Jefferson School Similar size Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Rb Boyce Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Twin Rivers Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Aa Rather School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Ionia Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~308 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)

Frequently asked questions about Aa Rather School

How many students attend Aa Rather School?

Aa Rather School has 308 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ionia, MI. CCD year-over-year: 321 (2022-23) → 321 (2023-24), nearly flat (+0).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Aa Rather School?

The student-teacher ratio at Aa Rather School is 18.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aa Rather School?

51.7% of students at Aa Rather School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aa Rather School?

The largest demographic group at Aa Rather School is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Ionia, MI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Aa Rather School?

Aa Rather School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Aa Rather School rank among schools in Ionia?

By Resource Investment Index, Aa Rather School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ionia on the city page.

What other schools are in Ionia Public Schools?

Besides Aa Rather School, Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students), Ionia Middle School (629 students), and Jefferson School (272 students). See the Ionia Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .