Enrollment
488
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Grand Rapids, MI
Burton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Burton Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 261644000563
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Burton Middle School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #16 of 16
- middle schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 85.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Burton Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Burton Middle School ranks #16 of 16 middle schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261644000563 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Burton Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Burton Middle School
Burton Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 488 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.9% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 488 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 386 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #326, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 488 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Grand Rapids Public Schools spends $16,601 per pupil, 23% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 162 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 488 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Grand Rapids's middle schools, it stands alongside Alger Middle School (314 students): Burton Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.1:1 vs 19.6:1).
Grand Rapids Public Schools also operates City Middlehigh (955 students) and Union High School (881 students) alongside Burton Middle 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 Burton Middle School compares
Burton Middle 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.9% | ▲ 58% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 488 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
488
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Michigan - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.9%
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
$16,601
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 488 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 162 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 73.4%
African American 21.9%
White 2.7%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.2, Burton Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Rapids Public Schools, which includes Burton Middle School.
$16,601
Per student
+23%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.6%
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 Burton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Middlehigh | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrison Park Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Burton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar middle schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~488 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Burton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Burton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Grand 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 Burton Middle School
How many students attend Burton Middle School?
Burton Middle School has 488 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Burton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Burton Middle School is 18.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Burton Middle School?
85.9% of students at Burton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Burton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Burton Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 73.4% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Burton Middle School?
Burton Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Burton Middle School rank among middle schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Burton Middle School ranks #16 of 16 middle schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Burton Middle School a good school?
Burton Middle School earns 15/100 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 Grand Rapids Public Schools?
Besides Burton Middle School, Grand Rapids Public Schools also operates City Middlehigh (955 students), Union High School (881 students), and Harrison Park Academy (708 students). See the Grand 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.