Enrollment
516
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Niles, MI
Ballard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ballard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262556006203
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballard Elementary School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Niles · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 71.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Niles, MI.
School address
District: Niles Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262556006203 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballard Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballard Elementary School
Ballard Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Niles, Michigan, enrolling 516 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 516 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 448 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #387, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Niles's public schools, it stands alongside Merritt Elementary School (304 students): Ballard Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.6:1 vs 16:1).
Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students) and Howardellis Elementary School (529 students) alongside Ballard 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 Ballard Elementary School compares
Ballard 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 | 20.6:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.4% | ▲ 31% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 516 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
516
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 84% in Michigan - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
52.5%
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
$11,915
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
4
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 60.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
African American 12.0%
Two or More 11.4%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 60.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Ballard Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Community Schools, which includes Ballard Elementary School.
$11,915
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 69.2%
Federal 11.2%
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 Ballard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Howardellis Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ring Lardner Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastside Connections School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Niles Cedar Lane | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ballard Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Niles
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 (~516 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ballard Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles 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 Ballard Elementary School
How many students attend Ballard Elementary School?
Ballard Elementary School has 516 students enrolled. It is a public school in Niles, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballard Elementary School is 20.6:1, which is 18% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ballard Elementary School?
71.4% of students at Ballard Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ballard Elementary School is White at 60.3% of enrollment, in Niles, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballard Elementary School?
Ballard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 Ballard Elementary School rank among schools in Niles?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Niles, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Niles on the city page.
Is Ballard Elementary School a good school?
Ballard Elementary School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Niles Community Schools?
Besides Ballard Elementary School, Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students), Howardellis Elementary School (529 students), and Ring Lardner Middle School (510 students). See the Niles 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.