Enrollment
308
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Ionia Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261925005600 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aa Rather School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aa Rather School
Aa Rather School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ionia, Michigan, enrolling 308 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.7% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 308 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 650 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #269.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students) and Ionia Middle School (629 students) alongside Aa Rather School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Aa Rather School compares
Aa Rather School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$11,191
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
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.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ionia Public Schools, which includes Aa Rather School.
$11,191
Per student
-17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 65.0%
Federal 14.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
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
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 183
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~308 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aa Rather School's federal record.
- Compare Aa Rather School against another school. Compare schools
- Ionia Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
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.
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, attendance rates. 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.
Is Aa Rather School a good school?
Aa Rather School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
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.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.