Enrollment
644
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260578004204
Big Rapids Middle School — Big Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for Big Rapids Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 15/100.
👥 Class size 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Big Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Rapids Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Big Rapids Middle School reports 644 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 30.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 50.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% below the Michigan average and 3% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Big Rapids Public Schools spends $14,374 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 25.2% from local sources (property taxes), 60.4% from the state, and 14.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Big Rapids Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.5:1 | ▲ 18% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▼ 8% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 644 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 88% in Michigan — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,374
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 644 Top 85% in Michigan — larger than 15% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 30.0
Students per teacher 21.5:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 50.0% -8% vs state
NCES ID 260578004204
Student demographics
White 87.6%
Two or More 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.8%
In-school suspensions 116
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Rapids Public Schools, which includes Big Rapids Middle School.
$14,374
Per student
-9%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 60.4%
Federal 14.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 76:1
Similar elementary schools in Big Rapids
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Big Rapids Middle School
How many students attend Big Rapids Middle School?
Big Rapids Middle School has 644 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in BIG RAPIDS, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Rapids Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Rapids Middle School is 21.5:1, which is 18% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Rapids Middle School?
50.0% of students at Big Rapids Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Rapids Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Big Rapids Middle School is White at 87.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in BIG RAPIDS, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Rapids Middle School?
Big Rapids Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.