Enrollment
239
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hastings, MI
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261797005469
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Hastings · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 59.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Hastings, MI.
School address
District: Hastings Area School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261797005469 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary School
Central Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hastings, Michigan, enrolling 239 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.2% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 239 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 444 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #129.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Hastings Area School District also operates Hastings High School (804 students) and Hastings Middle School (584 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary School compares
Central 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.2% | ▲ 9% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 239 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
239
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 18% in Michigan - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.7%
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
$11,939
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 87.9%
Two or More 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 87.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.0, Central Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hastings Area School District, which includes Central Elementary School.
$11,939
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.8%
State 60.2%
Federal 13.1%
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 Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hastings Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeastern Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Star Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeastern Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 287
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~239 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hastings Area School 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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 239 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hastings, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% 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 Central Elementary School?
59.2% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary School is White at 87.9% of enrollment, in Hastings, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary 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 Central Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Hastings?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Hastings, 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 Hastings on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Hastings Area School District?
Besides Central Elementary School, Hastings Area School District also operates Hastings High School (804 students), Hastings Middle School (584 students), and Northeastern Elementary School (306 students). See the Hastings Area School 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.