Enrollment
258
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Harbor Springs, MI
Blackbird Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Blackbird Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261770000087
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackbird Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools.
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 28.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 258
- students enrolled
Blackbird Elementary School has class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Harbor Springs School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261770000087 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackbird Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackbird Elementary School
Blackbird Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Harbor Springs, Michigan, enrolling 258 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 258 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 272 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Harbor Springs School District spends $19,741 per pupil, 46% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Harbor Springs School District also operates Harbor Springs High School (260 students) and Harbor Springs Middle School (233 students) alongside Blackbird 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 Blackbird Elementary School compares
Blackbird 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.9% | ▼ 47% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 258 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
258
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Michigan - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$19,741
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 258 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 87.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.7, Blackbird Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harbor Springs School District, which includes Blackbird Elementary School.
$19,741
Per student
+46%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.4%
State 9.0%
Federal 4.6%
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 Blackbird Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Springs High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harbor Springs Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackbird Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 260
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 233
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~258 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackbird Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Blackbird Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Harbor Springs School District'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 Blackbird Elementary School
How many students attend Blackbird Elementary School?
Blackbird Elementary School has 258 students enrolled. It is a public school in Harbor Springs, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackbird Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackbird Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blackbird Elementary School?
28.9% of students at Blackbird Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blackbird Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Blackbird Elementary School is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in Harbor Springs, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackbird Elementary School?
Blackbird Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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).
Is Blackbird Elementary School a good school?
Blackbird Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of 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 Harbor Springs School District?
Besides Blackbird Elementary School, Harbor Springs School District also operates Harbor Springs High School (260 students) and Harbor Springs Middle School (233 students). See the Harbor Springs School District 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.