Enrollment
336
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Big Rapids, MI
Brookside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Brookside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260578004206
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brookside Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Big Rapids · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 62.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Brookside Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brookside Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Big Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Big Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260578004206 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brookside Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brookside Elementary School
Brookside Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Big Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 336 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 336 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 619 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #393.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Big Rapids Public Schools also operates Big Rapids High School (755 students) and Big Rapids Middle School (644 students) alongside Brookside 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 Brookside Elementary School compares
Brookside 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.6% | ▲ 15% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 35% in Michigan - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
72.9%
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
$11,792
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 81.5%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Largest group: White at 81.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Brookside Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Rapids Public Schools, which includes Brookside Elementary School.
$11,792
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Brookside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Rapids Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Big Rapids Virtual School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brookside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 57.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~336 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brookside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Brookside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Big Rapids 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 Brookside Elementary School
How many students attend Brookside Elementary School?
Brookside Elementary School has 336 students enrolled. It is a public school in Big Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brookside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Brookside Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% lower 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 Brookside Elementary School?
62.6% of students at Brookside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brookside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Brookside Elementary School is White at 81.5% of enrollment, in Big Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brookside Elementary School?
Brookside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Brookside Elementary School rank among schools in Big Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Brookside Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Big Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Big Rapids on the city page.
Is Brookside Elementary School a good school?
Brookside Elementary School earns 23/100 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 Big Rapids Public Schools?
Besides Brookside Elementary School, Big Rapids Public Schools also operates Big Rapids High School (755 students), Big Rapids Middle School (644 students), and Riverview Elementary School (346 students). See the Big Rapids 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.