Enrollment
321
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Michigan Center, MI
Arnold Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Arnold Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262379006045
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arnold Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 321
- students enrolled
Arnold Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Michigan Center School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262379006045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arnold Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arnold Elementary School
Arnold Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Michigan Center, Michigan, enrolling 321 students.
At 16.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.6% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 321 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.
Among 638 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #483, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Michigan Center's public schools, it stands alongside Michigan Center Jrsr High School (700 students): Arnold Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 23.3:1).
Michigan Center School District also operates Michigan Center Jrsr High School (700 students) and Keicher Elementary School (402 students) alongside Arnold 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 Arnold Elementary School compares
Arnold 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▲ 4% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.2%
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
$12,629
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 + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 84.7%
Two or More 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.4, Arnold Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Michigan Center School District, which includes Arnold Elementary School.
$12,629
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 69.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Arnold Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Center Jrsr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Keicher Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arnold Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Michigan Center
1 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 (~321 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arnold Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Arnold Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Michigan Center 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 Arnold Elementary School
How many students attend Arnold Elementary School?
Arnold Elementary School has 321 students enrolled. It is a public school in Michigan Center, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arnold Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Arnold Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% higher 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 Arnold Elementary School?
56.6% of students at Arnold Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arnold Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Arnold Elementary School is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Michigan Center, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arnold Elementary School?
Arnold Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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).
Is Arnold Elementary School a good school?
Arnold Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Michigan Center School District?
Besides Arnold Elementary School, Michigan Center School District also operates Michigan Center Jrsr High School (700 students) and Keicher Elementary School (402 students). See the Michigan Center 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.