Enrollment
314
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 261644008575
Alger Middle School — Grand Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for Alger Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alger Middle School earns an F Resource Investment Index (20/100), with class sizes larger than 88% of Michigan schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 20/100
- 21.4:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 91.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 314
- students enrolled
School address
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alger Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Alger Middle School reports 314 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 91.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 69% above the Michigan average and 77% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 314 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 96.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Rapids Public Schools spends $19,650 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.7% from local sources (property taxes), 45.7% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alger Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.5% | ▲ 69% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 314 | top 43% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
21 smaller classes than 12% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
314 larger than 34% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
91.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 69% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.4:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 88% in Michigan — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
96.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,650
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 314 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 136 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 314 Top 43% in Michigan — larger than 57% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 21.4:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 91.5% +69% vs state
NCES ID 261644008575
Student demographics
African American 63.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 9.2%
White 8.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 63.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 314:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 96.2%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 136
Expulsions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Rapids Public Schools, which includes Alger Middle School.
$19,650
Per student
+24%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Alger Middle School
How many students attend Alger Middle School?
Alger Middle School has 314 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alger Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alger Middle School is 21.4:1, which is 18% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alger Middle School?
91.5% of students at Alger Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alger Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Alger Middle School is African American at 63.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alger Middle School?
Alger Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.