Enrollment
611
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Muskegon, MI
Cardinal Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262676007763
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #16 of 19
- schools in Muskegon · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 77.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary ranks #16 of 19 schools in Muskegon, MI.
School address
District: Orchard View Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262676007763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Elementary
Cardinal Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Muskegon, Michigan, enrolling 611 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 77.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 611 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 341 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #245, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 611 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Muskegon's public schools, it stands alongside Reethspuffer Elementary School (600 students): Cardinal Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 16.7:1).
Orchard View Schools also operates Orchard View High School (543 students) and Orchard View Middle School (422 students) alongside Cardinal Elementary.
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 Cardinal Elementary compares
Cardinal Elementary 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 | 77.9% | ▲ 43% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 611 | top 17% | - | - |
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.
611
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
50.9%
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
$13,521
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 611 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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 53.5%
African American 27.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Two or More 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 53.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Cardinal Elementary is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orchard View Schools, which includes Cardinal Elementary.
$13,521
Per student
+0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.5%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.3%
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 Cardinal Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard View High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orchard View Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orchard View Early Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orchard View Community Education | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cardinal Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Muskegon
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Reethspuffer Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Oakridge Lower Elementary School
Standard public school
549 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Bunker Elementary
Standard public school
451 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Elementary Academy
Standard public school
134 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Muskegon County Juvenile Transition Center
Alternative education program
14 students 14:1 students per teacher
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 (~611 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orchard View 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 Cardinal Elementary
How many students attend Cardinal Elementary?
Cardinal Elementary has 611 students enrolled. It is a public school in Muskegon, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary 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 Cardinal Elementary?
77.9% of students at Cardinal Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Elementary is White at 53.5% of enrollment, in Muskegon, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Elementary?
Cardinal Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Cardinal Elementary rank among schools in Muskegon?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary ranks #16 of 19 schools in Muskegon, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Muskegon on the city page.
Is Cardinal Elementary a good school?
Cardinal Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Orchard View Schools?
Besides Cardinal Elementary, Orchard View Schools also operates Orchard View High School (543 students), Orchard View Middle School (422 students), and Orchard View Early Elementary (331 students). See the Orchard View 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.