Enrollment
452
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Southfield, MI
Alice M Birney K8 School
Federal NCES profile for Alice M Birney K8 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263231008151
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alice M Birney K8 School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Southfield · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Alice M Birney K8 School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alice M Birney K8 School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Southfield, MI.
School address
District: Southfield Public School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263231008151 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alice M Birney K8 School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alice M Birney K8 School
Alice M Birney K8 School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Southfield, Michigan, enrolling 452 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 452 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 565 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #346.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Southfield Public School District spends $19,303 per pupil, 43% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Southfield's public schools, it stands alongside Crescent Academy Pk1 (249 students): Alice M Birney K8 School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 17.8:1).
Southfield Public School District also operates Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology (1,049 students) and Thompson K8 International Academy (544 students) alongside Alice M Birney K8 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 Alice M Birney K8 School compares
Alice M Birney K8 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 21% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 18% in Michigan - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.9%
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
$19,303
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.8 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
African American 94.9%
Two or More 2.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
White 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 94.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.9, Alice M Birney K8 School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southfield Public School District, which includes Alice M Birney K8 School.
$19,303
Per student
+43%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.6%
State 31.2%
Federal 10.2%
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 Alice M Birney K8 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thompson K8 International Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Adlai Stevenson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morris Adler Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glenn W Levey Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alice M Birney K8 School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,049
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Southfield
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~452 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alice M Birney K8 School's federal record.
- Compare Alice M Birney K8 School against another school. Compare schools
- Southfield Public School District'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 Alice M Birney K8 School
How many students attend Alice M Birney K8 School?
Alice M Birney K8 School has 452 students enrolled. It is a public school in Southfield, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alice M Birney K8 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alice M Birney K8 School is 13.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alice M Birney K8 School?
65.6% of students at Alice M Birney K8 School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alice M Birney K8 School?
The largest demographic group at Alice M Birney K8 School is African American at 94.9% of enrollment, in Southfield, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alice M Birney K8 School?
Alice M Birney K8 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 Alice M Birney K8 School rank among schools in Southfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Alice M Birney K8 School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Southfield, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Southfield on the city page.
Is Alice M Birney K8 School a good school?
Alice M Birney K8 School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also less 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 Southfield Public School District?
Besides Alice M Birney K8 School, Southfield Public School District also operates Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology (1,049 students), Thompson K8 International Academy (544 students), and Adlai Stevenson Elementary School (527 students). See the Southfield Public School District 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.