Enrollment
423
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lake Orion, MI
Blanche Sims Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Blanche Sims Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262073005735
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blanche Sims Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Lake Orion · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 33.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Blanche Sims Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blanche Sims Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lake Orion, MI.
School address
District: Lake Orion Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262073005735 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blanche Sims Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blanche Sims Elementary School
Blanche Sims Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lake Orion, Michigan, enrolling 423 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 423 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 622 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #347.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students) and Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students) alongside Blanche Sims 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 Blanche Sims Elementary School compares
Blanche Sims 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.4% | ▼ 38% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
423
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Michigan - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$14,289
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 80.4%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 1.7%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: White at 80.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.0, Blanche Sims Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Orion Community Schools, which includes Blanche Sims Elementary School.
$14,289
Per student
+6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.3%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.9%
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 Blanche Sims Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Orion Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orion Oaks Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waldon Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakview Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paint Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blanche Sims Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,035
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary 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 (~423 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blanche Sims Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Blanche Sims Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Orion Community 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 Blanche Sims Elementary School
How many students attend Blanche Sims Elementary School?
Blanche Sims Elementary School has 423 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lake Orion, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blanche Sims Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blanche Sims Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 7% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blanche Sims Elementary School?
33.4% of students at Blanche Sims Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blanche Sims Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Blanche Sims Elementary School is White at 80.4% of enrollment, in Lake Orion, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blanche Sims Elementary School?
Blanche Sims Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Blanche Sims Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Lake Orion?
By Resource Investment Index, Blanche Sims Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lake Orion, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lake Orion on the city page.
Is Blanche Sims Elementary School a good school?
Blanche Sims Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Lake Orion Community Schools?
Besides Blanche Sims Elementary School, Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students), Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students), and Waldon Middle School (514 students). See the Lake Orion Community 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.