Enrollment
467
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lake Orion, MI
Carpenter Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Carpenter Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262073000684
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carpenter Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Lake Orion · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Carpenter Elem School has class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Elem School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lake Orion, MI.
School address
District: Lake Orion Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262073000684 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carpenter Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carpenter Elem School
Carpenter Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lake Orion, Michigan, enrolling 467 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 467 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 626 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #326.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students) and Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students) alongside Carpenter Elem 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 Carpenter Elem School compares
Carpenter Elem 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 | 18.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▼ 38% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 467 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
467
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 70% in Michigan - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.5%
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
$14,289
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 66.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
Asian 7.5%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 4.7%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.6, Carpenter Elem School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Orion Community Schools, which includes Carpenter Elem School.
$14,289
Per student
+6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.3%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.9%
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 Carpenter Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Orion Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orion Oaks Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waldon Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakview Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Paint Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carpenter Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,035
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary 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 (~467 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carpenter Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Carpenter Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Orion Community 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 Carpenter Elem School
How many students attend Carpenter Elem School?
Carpenter Elem School has 467 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lake Orion, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Elem School is 18.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carpenter Elem School?
33.5% of students at Carpenter Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carpenter Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Carpenter Elem School is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Lake Orion, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carpenter Elem School?
Carpenter Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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).
How does Carpenter Elem School rank among elementary schools in Lake Orion?
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Elem School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lake Orion, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lake Orion on the city page.
Is Carpenter Elem School a good school?
Carpenter Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Lake Orion Community Schools?
Besides Carpenter Elem School, Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students), Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students), and Waldon Middle School (514 students). See the Lake Orion Community 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.