Enrollment
398
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261962005625
Cascades Elementary School — Jackson, MI
Federal NCES profile for Cascades Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
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: Jackson 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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cascades Elementary School 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
Cascades Elementary School reports 398 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% 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 8% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 64% above the Michigan average and 72% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 398 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 59.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jackson Public Schools spends $22,279 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.8% from local sources (property taxes), 49.8% from the state, and 21.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Cascades Elementary School 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.3% | ▲ 64% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 58% | — | — |
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
89.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 64% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
— 5% below state mean
Top 53% in Michigan — lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.8%
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
$22,279
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 398 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 398 Top 58% in Michigan — larger than 42% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 17.2:1 -5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.3% +64% vs state
NCES ID 261962005625
Student demographics
African American 41.2%
White 29.4%
Two or More 19.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 41.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 398:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 59.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 78
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson Public Schools, which includes Cascades Elementary School.
$22,279
Per student
+41%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 49.8%
Federal 21.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 82.2:1
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar other schools in Jackson
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Paragon Charter Academy
Standard public school
627 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
East Jackson Secondary School
Standard public school
359 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Da Vinci Institute 612
Alternative education program
322 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Townsend Elementary School
Standard public school
316 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Vandercook Lake High School
Standard public school
258 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Lyle a Torrant Center
Special-education school
191 students 4.9:1 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 Cascades Elementary School
How many students attend Cascades Elementary School?
Cascades Elementary School has 398 students enrolled. It is a other school in JACKSON, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cascades Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cascades Elementary School is 17.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 8% 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 Cascades Elementary School?
89.3% of students at Cascades Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cascades Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cascades Elementary School is African American at 41.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in JACKSON, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cascades Elementary School?
Cascades Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.