Enrollment
435
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hudsonville, MI
Alward Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Alward Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261884005559
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alward Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Hudsonville · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Alward Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alward Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Hudsonville, MI.
School address
District: Hudsonville Public School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261884005559 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alward Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alward Elementary School
Alward Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hudsonville, Michigan, enrolling 435 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 435 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 297 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #124.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hudsonville's public schools, it stands alongside Jamestown Lower Elementary School (289 students): Alward Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14:1 vs 12.6:1).
Hudsonville Public School District also operates Hudsonville High School (1,995 students) and Riley Street Middle School (688 students) alongside Alward Elementary 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 Alward Elementary School compares
Alward Elementary 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 20% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 79% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
435
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 23% in Michigan - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$12,627
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 86.9%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
African American 2.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 86.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.0, Alward Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hudsonville Public School District, which includes Alward Elementary School.
$12,627
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 63.5%
Federal 1.7%
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 Alward Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudsonville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riley Street Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baldwin Street Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hudsonville Freshman Building | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Georgetown Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alward Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,995
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Hudsonville
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 (~435 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alward Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Alward Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hudsonville 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 Alward Elementary School
How many students attend Alward Elementary School?
Alward Elementary School has 435 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hudsonville, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alward Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alward Elementary School is 14:1, which is 20% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 11% 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 Alward Elementary School?
11.5% of students at Alward Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alward Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Alward Elementary School is White at 86.9% of enrollment, in Hudsonville, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alward Elementary School?
Alward Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Alward Elementary School rank among schools in Hudsonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Alward Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Hudsonville, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hudsonville on the city page.
Is Alward Elementary School a good school?
Alward Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Hudsonville Public School District?
Besides Alward Elementary School, Hudsonville Public School District also operates Hudsonville High School (1,995 students), Riley Street Middle School (688 students), and Baldwin Street Middle School (610 students). See the Hudsonville 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.