Enrollment
410
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saint Joseph, MI
Brown School
Federal NCES profile for Brown School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263285006830
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brown School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 27.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 410
- students enrolled
Brown School has class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: St. Joseph Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263285006830 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brown School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brown School
Brown School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Saint Joseph, Michigan, enrolling 410 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Michigan schools and 23% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 410 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 553 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #214.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 46/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
St. Joseph Public Schools also operates St Joseph High School (933 students) and Upton Middle School (690 students) alongside Brown 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 Brown School compares
Brown 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 | 21.6:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.9% | ▼ 49% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 410 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
410
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Michigan - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,699
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
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 72.0%
African American 8.0%
Asian 7.3%
Two or More 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.3, Brown School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Joseph Public Schools, which includes Brown School.
$11,699
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 54.6%
Federal 12.8%
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 Brown School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Upton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clarke School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brown School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~410 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brown School's federal record.
- Compare Brown School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Joseph 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 Brown School
How many students attend Brown School?
Brown School has 410 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saint Joseph, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brown School?
The student-teacher ratio at Brown School is 21.6:1, which is 23% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Brown School?
27.9% of students at Brown School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brown School?
The largest demographic group at Brown School is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in Saint Joseph, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brown School?
Brown School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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).
Is Brown School a good school?
Brown School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 St. Joseph Public Schools?
Besides Brown School, St. Joseph Public Schools also operates St Joseph High School (933 students), Upton Middle School (690 students), and Clarke School (462 students). See the St. Joseph 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.