Enrollment
267
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Burton, MI
Atherton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Atherton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260354004052
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Atherton Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Burton · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 84.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Atherton Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Atherton Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Burton, MI.
School address
District: Atherton Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260354004052 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Atherton Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Atherton Elementary School
Atherton Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Burton, Michigan, enrolling 267 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.7:1, Atherton Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Michigan schools and 27% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 84.0% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 267 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 365 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #161.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 72 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 267 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Burton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Gladys Dillon Elementary School (215 students): Atherton Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 13.4:1).
Atherton Community Schools also operates Atherton Jr Sr High School (323 students) and Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center (48 students) alongside Atherton 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 Atherton Elementary School compares
Atherton 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.0% | ▲ 55% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 267 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
267
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Michigan - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
68.2%
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
$13,620
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.0 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 50.2%
African American 27.7%
Two or More 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 50.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Atherton Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atherton Community Schools, which includes Atherton Elementary School.
$13,620
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.5%
State 54.4%
Federal 17.1%
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 Atherton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton Jr Sr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Atherton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 48
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Burton
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~267 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Atherton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Atherton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Atherton Community 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 Atherton Elementary School
How many students attend Atherton Elementary School?
Atherton Elementary School has 267 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Burton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Atherton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Atherton Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 27% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% 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 Atherton Elementary School?
84.0% of students at Atherton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Atherton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Atherton Elementary School is White at 50.2% of enrollment, in Burton, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Atherton Elementary School?
Atherton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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).
How does Atherton Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Burton?
By Resource Investment Index, Atherton Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Burton, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Burton on the city page.
Is Atherton Elementary School a good school?
Atherton Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. It is also more 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 Atherton Community Schools?
Besides Atherton Elementary School, Atherton Community Schools also operates Atherton Jr Sr High School (323 students) and Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center (48 students). See the Atherton Community 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.