Enrollment
721
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ishpeming, MI
Aspen Ridge Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Aspen Ridge Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262540000932
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aspen Ridge Elementary School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Ishpeming · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.4:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 34.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Aspen Ridge Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aspen Ridge Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Ishpeming, MI.
School address
District: Nice Community School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262540000932 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aspen Ridge Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aspen Ridge Elementary School
Aspen Ridge Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Ishpeming, Michigan, enrolling 721 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 721 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.
Among 459 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #385, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 721 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district, Nice Community School District, also runs Westwood High School (383 students).
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 Aspen Ridge Elementary School compares
Aspen Ridge 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.5% | ▼ 36% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 721 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
721
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 26% in Michigan - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.4%
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
$13,461
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 721 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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
White 95.7%
Two or More 1.4%
African American 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 95.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.4, Aspen Ridge Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nice Community School District, which includes Aspen Ridge Elementary School.
$13,461
Per student
0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 58.5%
Federal 6.8%
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 Aspen Ridge Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westwood High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aspen Ridge Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~721 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aspen Ridge Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Aspen Ridge Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Nice Community 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 Aspen Ridge Elementary School
How many students attend Aspen Ridge Elementary School?
Aspen Ridge Elementary School has 721 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ishpeming, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aspen Ridge Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Aspen Ridge Elementary School is 14.4:1, which is 18% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Aspen Ridge Elementary School?
34.5% of students at Aspen Ridge Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aspen Ridge Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Aspen Ridge Elementary School is White at 95.7% of enrollment, in Ishpeming, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aspen Ridge Elementary School?
Aspen Ridge Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Aspen Ridge Elementary School rank among schools in Ishpeming?
By Resource Investment Index, Aspen Ridge Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Ishpeming, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ishpeming on the city page.
Is Aspen Ridge Elementary School a good school?
Aspen Ridge Elementary School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Nice Community School District?
Besides Aspen Ridge Elementary School, Nice Community School District also operates Westwood High School (383 students). See the Nice Community 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.