Enrollment
314
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Grand Rapids, MI
Alger Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Alger Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 261644008575
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alger Middle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools.
- #19 of 24
- public schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 91.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Alger Middle School has class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alger Middle School ranks #19 of 24 public schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261644008575 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+12% 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
What stands out at Alger Middle School
Alger Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 314 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 91.5% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 314 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 337 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #205.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 96.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Grand Rapids Public Schools spends $16,601 per pupil, 23% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 138 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 314 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Grand Rapids Public Schools also operates City Middlehigh (955 students) and Union High School (881 students) alongside Alger Middle 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 Alger Middle School compares
Alger Middle 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.5% | ▲ 69% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 314 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
314
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Michigan - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
96.2%
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
$16,601
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Alger Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Rapids Public Schools, which includes Alger Middle School.
$16,601
Per student
+23%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Alger Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Middlehigh | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harrison Park Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alger Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar middle 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 (~314 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alger Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Alger Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Grand Rapids 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 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 19.6:1, which is 12% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alger Middle School?
Alger Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alger Middle School rank among public schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Alger Middle School ranks #19 of 24 public schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Alger Middle School a good school?
Alger Middle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of 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 Grand Rapids Public Schools?
Besides Alger Middle School, Grand Rapids Public Schools also operates City Middlehigh (955 students), Union High School (881 students), and Harrison Park Academy (708 students). See the Grand Rapids 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.