Enrollment
978
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Battle Creek, MI
Battle Creek Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Battle Creek Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260000503830
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Battle Creek Central High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #3 of 5
- high schools in Battle Creek · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 69.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Battle Creek Central High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Battle Creek Central High School ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Battle Creek, MI.
School address
District: Battle Creek Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260000503830 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Battle Creek Central High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Battle Creek Central High School
Battle Creek Central High School is a higher-need, large high school in Battle Creek, Michigan, enrolling 978 students.
At 16.3:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 95% of state schools at 978 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 136 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Battle Creek Public Schools spends $16,363 per pupil, 21% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Battle Creek's high schools, it stands alongside West Michigan Virtual Battle Creek Hs (370 students): Battle Creek Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 61.7:1).
Battle Creek Public Schools also operates Springfield Middle School (472 students) and Valley View Elementary School (434 students) alongside Battle Creek Central High 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 Battle Creek Central High School compares
Battle Creek Central High 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.0% | ▲ 27% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 978 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
978
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Michigan - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
77.4%
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
$16,363
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 326 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
African American 41.8%
White 27.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 13.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Battle Creek Central High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Battle Creek Public Schools, which includes Battle Creek Central High School.
$16,363
Per student
+21%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.0%
State 48.6%
Federal 20.4%
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 Battle Creek Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley View Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ann J Kellogg School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fremont International Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Post Franklin School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Battle Creek Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 219
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar high schools in Battle Creek
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~978 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Battle Creek Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Battle Creek Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Battle Creek Public 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 Battle Creek Central High School
How many students attend Battle Creek Central High School?
Battle Creek Central High School has 978 students enrolled. It is a high school in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Battle Creek Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Battle Creek Central High School is 16.3:1, which is 7% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% 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 Battle Creek Central High School?
69.0% of students at Battle Creek Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Battle Creek Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Battle Creek Central High School is African American at 41.8% of enrollment, in Battle Creek, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Battle Creek Central High School?
Battle Creek Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Battle Creek Central High School rank among high schools in Battle Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Battle Creek Central High School ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Battle Creek, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Battle Creek on the city page.
Is Battle Creek Central High School a good school?
Battle Creek Central High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Battle Creek Public Schools?
Besides Battle Creek Central High School, Battle Creek Public Schools also operates Springfield Middle School (472 students), Valley View Elementary School (434 students), and Ann J Kellogg School (348 students). See the Battle Creek Public 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.