Enrollment
367
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Montrose, MI
Carter Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Carter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262442006103
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carter Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Montrose · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 64.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Carter Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carter Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Montrose, MI.
School address
District: Montrose Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262442006103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carter Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carter Elementary School
Carter Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Montrose, Michigan, enrolling 367 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.7:1, Carter Elementary 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 367 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 614 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #234.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Montrose Community Schools also operates Hillmccloy High School (449 students) and Kuehnhaven Middle School (420 students) alongside Carter Elementary 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 Carter Elementary School compares
Carter Elementary 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 | 64.0% | ▲ 18% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 48% | - | - |
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.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
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
43.1%
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
$12,452
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 86.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.2, Carter Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montrose Community Schools, which includes Carter Elementary School.
$12,452
Per student
-8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 69.0%
Federal 15.4%
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 Carter Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillmccloy High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kuehnhaven Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montrose Alternative Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carter Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 49.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~367 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carter Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Carter Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Montrose 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 Carter Elementary School
How many students attend Carter Elementary School?
Carter Elementary School has 367 students enrolled. It is a public school in Montrose, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carter Elementary 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 Carter Elementary School?
64.0% of students at Carter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Carter Elementary School is White at 86.6% of enrollment, in Montrose, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carter Elementary School?
Carter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Carter Elementary School rank among schools in Montrose?
By Resource Investment Index, Carter Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Montrose, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Montrose on the city page.
Is Carter Elementary School a good school?
Carter Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Montrose Community Schools?
Besides Carter Elementary School, Montrose Community Schools also operates Hillmccloy High School (449 students), Kuehnhaven Middle School (420 students), and Montrose Alternative Education Center (199 students). See the Montrose 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.