Enrollment
511
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Belding, MI
Belding High School
Federal NCES profile for Belding High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260453004142
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belding High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Belding · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- students per teacher
- 44.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Belding High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belding High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Belding, MI.
School address
District: Belding Area School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260453004142 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belding High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belding High School
Belding High School is a mid-sized high school in Belding, Michigan, enrolling 511 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 511 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 674 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #561, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 511 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 107 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 511 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Belding Area School District also operates Ellis Elementary School (391 students) and Woodview Elementary School (372 students) alongside Belding 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 Belding High School compares
Belding 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.2% | ▼ 19% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 511 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
511
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Michigan - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$13,789
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 511 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.9 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 86.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.8, Belding High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belding Area School District, which includes Belding High School.
$13,789
Per student
+2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 57.6%
Federal 18.0%
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 Belding High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodview Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Belding Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belding High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 391
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 372
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 363
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~511 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belding High School's federal record.
- Compare Belding High School against another school. Compare schools
- Belding Area 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 Belding High School
How many students attend Belding High School?
Belding High School has 511 students enrolled. It is a high school in Belding, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belding High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Belding High School is 18.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belding High School?
44.2% of students at Belding High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belding High School?
The largest demographic group at Belding High School is White at 86.1% of enrollment, in Belding, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belding High School?
Belding High School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Belding High School rank among public schools in Belding?
By Resource Investment Index, Belding High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Belding, 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 Belding on the city page.
Is Belding High School a good school?
Belding High School earns 25/100 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 Belding Area School District?
Besides Belding High School, Belding Area School District also operates Ellis Elementary School (391 students), Woodview Elementary School (372 students), and Belding Middle School (363 students). See the Belding Area 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.