Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pontiac, MI

Alcott School

Federal NCES profile for Alcott School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262874006426
0/100100/10010/100
👥 S:T ratio
0
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Alcott School earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.

#5 of 5
elementary schools in Pontiac · Resource Index
10
Resource Index · Lower
37.1:1
large classes for Michigan
86.1%
free-lunch eligible

Alcott School has class sizes larger than 98% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Alcott School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Pontiac, MI.

Enrollment

334

Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

9.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

37.1:1

vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg

+112% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

86.1%

vs 54.3% Michigan avg

+59% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Alcott School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Alcott School

Alcott School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pontiac, Michigan, enrolling 334 students.

Class loads run heavy: 37.1:1 is larger than about 98% of Michigan schools and 112% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Economic need is high: 86.1% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

With 334 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.

Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.

Among 419 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #401, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Pontiac City School District spends $18,379 per pupil, 36% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Pontiac's elementary schools, it stands alongside Whitman Elementary School (611 students): Alcott School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (37.1:1 vs 13:1).

Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac High School (992 students) and Pontiac Middle School (790 students) alongside Alcott 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 Alcott School compares

Alcott 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 37.1:1 ▲ 112% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 86.1% ▲ 59% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 334 top 54% - -

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

37.1:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
86.1%
free-lunch eligible - 59% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
37.1:1
students per teacher - 112% above state mean
Top 98% in Michigan - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
54.8%
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
$18,379
per pupil, district-wide - above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

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

Hispanic or Latino 55.4%
African American 32.3%
White 5.7%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 58.3/100

Simpson diversity index - at 58.3, Alcott School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pontiac City School District, which includes Alcott School.

$18,379
Per student
+36%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.2%
State 16.3%
Federal 28.5%

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 Alcott School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Pontiac High School Larger Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Pontiac Middle School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Whitman Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Owen Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Herrington School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Pontiac City School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Pontiac

1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Similar elementary 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Alcott School's federal record.

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 Alcott School

How many students attend Alcott School?

Alcott School has 334 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pontiac, MI.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Alcott School?

The student-teacher ratio at Alcott School is 37.1:1, which is 112% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 136% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alcott School?

86.1% of students at Alcott School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alcott School?

The largest demographic group at Alcott School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.4% of enrollment, in Pontiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.3/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Alcott School?

Alcott School has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Alcott School rank among elementary schools in Pontiac?

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

Is Alcott School a good school?

Alcott School earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. 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 Pontiac City School District?

Besides Alcott School, Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac High School (992 students), Pontiac Middle School (790 students), and Whitman Elementary School (611 students). See the Pontiac City School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 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.

View saved

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.