Enrollment
729
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Byron Center, MI
Byron Center West Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Byron Center West Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260756004334
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Byron Center West Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Byron Center · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.3:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Byron Center West Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Byron Center West Middle School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Byron Center, MI.
School address
District: Byron Center Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260756004334 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Byron Center West Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Byron Center West Middle School
Byron Center West Middle School is a large combined-grade school in Byron Center, Michigan, enrolling 729 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Michigan schools and 39% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.1% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 729 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 405 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #277.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Byron Center Public Schools also operates Byron Center High School (1,387 students) and Robert L Nickels Intermediate School (705 students) alongside Byron Center West 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 Byron Center West Middle School compares
Byron Center West 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 39% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 61% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 729 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
729
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 93% in Michigan - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$12,206
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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 77.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 5.8%
African American 2.2%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.6, Byron Center West Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Byron Center Public Schools, which includes Byron Center West Middle School.
$12,206
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.0%
State 51.6%
Federal 9.5%
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 Byron Center West Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Center High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robert L Nickels Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marshall Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brown Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Countryside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Byron Center West Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,387
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- 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 (~729 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Byron Center West Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Byron Center West Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Byron Center 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 Byron Center West Middle School
How many students attend Byron Center West Middle School?
Byron Center West Middle School has 729 students enrolled. It is a public school in Byron Center, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Byron Center West Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Byron Center West Middle School is 24.3:1, which is 39% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Byron Center West Middle School?
21.1% of students at Byron Center West Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Byron Center West Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Byron Center West Middle School is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Byron Center, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Byron Center West Middle School?
Byron Center West Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Byron Center West Middle School rank among schools in Byron Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Byron Center West Middle School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Byron Center, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Byron Center on the city page.
Is Byron Center West Middle School a good school?
Byron Center West Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Byron Center Public Schools?
Besides Byron Center West Middle School, Byron Center Public Schools also operates Byron Center High School (1,387 students), Robert L Nickels Intermediate School (705 students), and Marshall Elementary School (463 students). See the Byron Center 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.