Enrollment
742
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sterling Heights, MI
Bemis Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Bemis Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 263447007003
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bemis Junior High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Sterling Heights · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 38.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bemis Junior High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bemis Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Sterling Heights, MI.
School address
District: Utica Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263447007003 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bemis Junior High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bemis Junior High School
Bemis Junior High School is a large middle school in Sterling Heights, Michigan, enrolling 742 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 90% of state schools at 742 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 423 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #228.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Utica Community Schools also operates Adlai Stevenson High School (1,881 students) and Henry Ford Ii High School (1,663 students) alongside Bemis Junior 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 Bemis Junior High School compares
Bemis Junior 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▼ 29% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 742 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
742
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Michigan - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.3%
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
$12,513
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 106 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 expulsions.
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 74.5%
African American 8.6%
Asian 6.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 74.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.8, Bemis Junior High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Utica Community Schools, which includes Bemis Junior High School.
$12,513
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 63.4%
Federal 9.5%
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 Bemis Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adlai Stevenson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Henry Ford Ii High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Utica High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Malow Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bemis Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,625
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,084
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~742 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bemis Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Bemis Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Utica 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 Bemis Junior High School
How many students attend Bemis Junior High School?
Bemis Junior High School has 742 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sterling Heights, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bemis Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bemis Junior High School is 19.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bemis Junior High School?
38.5% of students at Bemis Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bemis Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Bemis Junior High School is White at 74.5% of enrollment, in Sterling Heights, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bemis Junior High School?
Bemis Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Bemis Junior High School rank among middle schools in Sterling Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Bemis Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Sterling Heights, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Sterling Heights on the city page.
Is Bemis Junior High School a good school?
Bemis Junior High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of 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 Utica Community Schools?
Besides Bemis Junior High School, Utica Community Schools also operates Adlai Stevenson High School (1,881 students), Henry Ford Ii High School (1,663 students), and Eisenhower High School (1,625 students). See the Utica 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.