Enrollment
517
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kalkaska, MI
Birch Street Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Birch Street Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262005005688
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Birch Street Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Kalkaska · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- students per teacher
- 61.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Birch Street Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Birch Street Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Kalkaska, MI.
School address
District: Kalkaska Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262005005688 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+2% 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
What stands out at Birch Street Elementary School
Birch Street Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kalkaska, Michigan, enrolling 517 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 517 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 539 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #360.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 517 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Kalkaska Public Schools also operates Kalkaska High School (439 students) and Kalkaska Middle School (307 students) alongside Birch Street Elementary 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 Birch Street Elementary School compares
Birch Street Elementary 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▲ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Michigan - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$13,832
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 8.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.9, Birch Street Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalkaska Public Schools, which includes Birch Street Elementary School.
$13,832
Per student
+2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Birch Street Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kalkaska Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cherry Street Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rapid City Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Birch Street Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 70
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~517 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Birch Street Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Birch Street Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Kalkaska Public 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 Birch Street Elementary School
How many students attend Birch Street Elementary School?
Birch Street Elementary School has 517 students enrolled. It is a public 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 17.8:1, which is 2% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Kalkaska, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Birch Street Elementary School?
Birch Street Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Birch Street Elementary School rank among public schools in Kalkaska?
By Resource Investment Index, Birch Street Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Kalkaska, 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 Kalkaska on the city page.
Is Birch Street Elementary School a good school?
Birch Street Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less 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 Kalkaska Public Schools?
Besides Birch Street Elementary School, Kalkaska Public Schools also operates Kalkaska High School (439 students), Kalkaska Middle School (307 students), and Cherry Street Intermediate School (176 students). See the Kalkaska Public 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.