Enrollment
70
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lawrence, MI
Bert Goens Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Bert Goens Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 268098500729
👥 S:T ratio 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bert Goens Learning Center earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Lawrence · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 2.6:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 55.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Bert Goens Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 99% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bert Goens Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lawrence, MI.
School address
District: Van Buren Isd · Michigan
NCES ID 268098500729 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-85% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bert Goens Learning Center compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bert Goens Learning Center
Bert Goens Learning Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Lawrence, Michigan, enrolling 70 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 2.6:1, Bert Goens Learning Center is leaner than roughly 99% of Michigan schools and 85% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.6% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 70 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 107 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Van Buren Isd also operates Communitybased Transition Center (53 students) and Maple Creek Education Center (33 students) alongside Bert Goens Learning Center.
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 Bert Goens Learning Center compares
Bert Goens Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 2.6:1 | ▼ 85% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.6% | ▲ 2% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 70 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
2.6:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
70
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
2.6:1
students per teacher
- 85% below state mean
Top 1% in Michigan - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
62.9%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Largest group: White at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.8, Bert Goens Learning Center is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
How Bert Goens Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communitybased Transition Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maple Creek Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bert Goens Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 53
- Students per teacher
- 6.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 33
- Students per teacher
- 3.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~70 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~2.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bert Goens Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Bert Goens Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Van Buren Isd'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 Bert Goens Learning Center
How many students attend Bert Goens Learning Center?
Bert Goens Learning Center has 70 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Lawrence, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bert Goens Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Bert Goens Learning Center is 2.6:1, which is 85% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 83% lower 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 Bert Goens Learning Center?
55.6% of students at Bert Goens Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bert Goens Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Bert Goens Learning Center is White at 58.6% of enrollment, in Lawrence, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bert Goens Learning Center?
Bert Goens Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Bert Goens Learning Center rank among public schools in Lawrence?
By Resource Investment Index, Bert Goens Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lawrence, 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 Lawrence on the city page.
Is Bert Goens Learning Center a good school?
Bert Goens Learning Center earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Van Buren Isd?
Besides Bert Goens Learning Center, Van Buren Isd also operates Communitybased Transition Center (53 students) and Maple Creek Education Center (33 students). See the Van Buren Isd 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.