Enrollment
476
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261644008880
Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary — Grand Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 17
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary reports 476 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 41.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Michigan average and 19% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Rapids Public Schools spends $19,650 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.7% from local sources (property taxes), 45.7% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▼ 2% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 23% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 71% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 61% in Michigan — lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,650
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 476 Top 71% in Michigan — larger than 29% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 17.9:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.7% -23% vs state
NCES ID 261644008880
Student demographics
White 64.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
African American 11.6%
Two or More 9.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Rapids Public Schools, which includes Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary.
$19,650
Per student
+24%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
Similar other schools in Grand Rapids
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prepnet Virtual Academy
Standard public school
1,080 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Excel Charter Academy
Standard public school
791 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
West Mi Academy of Environmental Science
Standard public school
666 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue
Standard public school
661 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Knapp Forest Elementary School
Standard public school
520 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Pine Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
472 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary
How many students attend Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary?
Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary has 476 students enrolled. It is a other school in GRAND RAPIDS, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary is 17.9:1, which is 2% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary?
41.7% of students at Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary is White at 64.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in GRAND RAPIDS, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary?
Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.