Enrollment
525
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chelsea, MI
Beach Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Beach Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 260894004438
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Beach Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Chelsea · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 8.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Beach Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Beach Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, MI.
School address
District: Chelsea School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260894004438 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Beach Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Beach Middle School
Beach Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chelsea, Michigan, enrolling 525 students.
At 16.9:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.3% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 525 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 257 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #92.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Chelsea School District also operates Chelsea High School (750 students) and North Creek Elementary School (485 students) alongside Beach Middle 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 Beach Middle School compares
Beach Middle 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.3% | ▼ 85% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
525
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Michigan - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.8%
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
$14,718
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 90.3%
Two or More 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.1, Beach Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chelsea School District, which includes Beach Middle School.
$14,718
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.1%
State 48.3%
Federal 5.6%
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 Beach Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Meadows Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Beach Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle 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 (~525 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Beach Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Beach Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Chelsea 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 Beach Middle School
How many students attend Beach Middle School?
Beach Middle School has 525 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chelsea, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Beach Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Beach Middle School is 16.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Beach Middle School?
8.3% of students at Beach Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Beach Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Beach Middle School is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Chelsea, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Beach Middle School?
Beach Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Beach Middle School rank among public schools in Chelsea?
By Resource Investment Index, Beach Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chelsea on the city page.
Is Beach Middle School a good school?
Beach Middle School earns 38/100 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 Chelsea School District?
Besides Beach Middle School, Chelsea School District also operates Chelsea High School (750 students), North Creek Elementary School (485 students), and South Meadows Elementary School (476 students). See the Chelsea 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.