Enrollment
517
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 262005005688
Birch Street Elementary School — Kalkaska, MI
Federal NCES profile for Birch Street Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
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: Kalkaska 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)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Birch Street Elementary 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
Birch Street Elementary School reports 517 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 33% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% above the Michigan average and 18% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 517 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Kalkaska Public Schools spends $15,567 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 45.2% from local sources (property taxes), 41.1% from the state, and 13.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Birch Street Elementary 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 33% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▲ 13% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 76% | — | — |
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
61.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 13% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
— 33% below state mean
Top 12% in Michigan — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$15,567
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 517 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 517 Top 76% in Michigan — larger than 24% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 12.2:1 -33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.3% +13% vs state
NCES ID 262005005688
Student demographics
White 95.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Two or More 1.5%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 95.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 517:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalkaska Public Schools, which includes Birch Street Elementary School.
$15,567
Per student
-2%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 45.2%
State 41.1%
Federal 13.7%
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
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 70
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
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 Birch Street Elementary School
How many students attend Birch Street Elementary School?
Birch Street Elementary School has 517 students enrolled. It is a other school in Kalkaska, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Birch Street Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Birch Street Elementary School is 12.2:1, which is 33% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Birch Street Elementary School?
61.3% of students at Birch Street Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Birch Street Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Birch Street Elementary School is White at 95.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Kalkaska, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Birch Street Elementary School?
Birch Street Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.