Enrollment
266
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Carstens Elementarymiddle School
Federal NCES profile for Carstens Elementarymiddle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260110304667
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carstens Elementarymiddle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #3 of 25
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 94.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carstens Elementarymiddle School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carstens Elementarymiddle School ranks #3 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110304667 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carstens Elementarymiddle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carstens Elementarymiddle School
Carstens Elementarymiddle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 266 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.7:1, Carstens Elementarymiddle School is leaner than roughly 85% of Michigan schools and 27% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 94.4% of students qualify for free meals, 74% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 266 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 256 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #59.
Its student body is predominantly African American (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 266 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 96.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 75 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 266 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Carstens Elementarymiddle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 20.4:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Carstens Elementarymiddle 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 Carstens Elementarymiddle School compares
Carstens Elementarymiddle 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.4% | ▲ 74% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 266 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
266
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Michigan - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
96.2%
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
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 266 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.2 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
African American 98.9%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 98.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.2, Carstens Elementarymiddle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Carstens Elementarymiddle School.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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 Carstens Elementarymiddle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carstens Elementarymiddle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 17.1:1 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 (~266 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carstens Elementarymiddle School's federal record.
- Compare Carstens Elementarymiddle School against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community District'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 Carstens Elementarymiddle School
How many students attend Carstens Elementarymiddle School?
Carstens Elementarymiddle School has 266 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carstens Elementarymiddle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carstens Elementarymiddle School is 12.7:1, which is 27% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% 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 Carstens Elementarymiddle School?
94.4% of students at Carstens Elementarymiddle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carstens Elementarymiddle School?
The largest demographic group at Carstens Elementarymiddle School is African American at 98.9% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carstens Elementarymiddle School?
Carstens Elementarymiddle School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Carstens Elementarymiddle School rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Carstens Elementarymiddle School ranks #3 of 25 schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Carstens Elementarymiddle School a good school?
Carstens Elementarymiddle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. It is also less 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Carstens Elementarymiddle School, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community District 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.