Enrollment
115
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260578000643
Big Rapids Virtual School — Big Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for Big Rapids Virtual School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 15/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
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)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
76:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+318% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Rapids Virtual 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 Virtual School reports 115 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 76:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 318% 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 378% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 28% above the Michigan average and 35% above the national baseline.
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 2 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 Virtual 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 | 76:1 | ▲ 318% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.7% | ▲ 28% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 115 | top 15% | — | — |
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
69.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 28% 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
76:1
students per teacher
— 318% above state mean
Top 99% in Michigan — lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
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
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 115 Top 15% in Michigan — larger than 85% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 76:1 +318% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.7% +28% vs state
NCES ID 260578000643
Student demographics
White 87.0%
African American 4.3%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
Largest group: White at 87.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Rapids Public Schools, which includes Big Rapids Virtual 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
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
Similar other schools in Big Rapids
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Riverview Elementary School
Standard public school
346 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Brookside Elementary School
Standard public school
336 students 19:1 students per teacher
Mecostaosceola Education Center
Special-education school
121 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Crossroads Charter Academy 612
Standard public school
117 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
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 Virtual School
How many students attend Big Rapids Virtual School?
Big Rapids Virtual School has 115 students enrolled. It is a other school in BIG RAPIDS, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Rapids Virtual School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Rapids Virtual School is 76:1, which is 318% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 378% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Rapids Virtual School?
69.7% of students at Big Rapids Virtual School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Rapids Virtual School?
The largest demographic group at Big Rapids Virtual School is White at 87.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in BIG RAPIDS, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Rapids Virtual School?
Big Rapids Virtual School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.