Enrollment
483
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260015100915 Charter school
Chatfield School — Lapeer, MI
Federal NCES profile for Chatfield School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 40
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: Chatfield School · 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
18.6:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chatfield 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
Chatfield School reports 483 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 17% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 27.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% below the Michigan average and 48% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 483 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chatfield School spends $11,470 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 2.4% from local sources (property taxes), 83.8% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Chatfield 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 2% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.1% | ▼ 50% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 72% | — | — |
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
27.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 68% in Michigan — lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$11,470
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 483 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 483 Top 72% in Michigan — larger than 28% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 18.6:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 27.1% -50% vs state
NCES ID 260015100915
Student demographics
White 92.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 92.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 483:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chatfield School, which includes Chatfield School.
$11,470
Per student
-28%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 2.4%
State 83.8%
Federal 13.8%
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.
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 Chatfield School
How many students attend Chatfield School?
Chatfield School has 483 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in LAPEER, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chatfield School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chatfield School is 18.6:1, which is 2% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chatfield School?
27.1% of students at Chatfield School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chatfield School?
The largest demographic group at Chatfield School is White at 92.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in LAPEER, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chatfield School?
Chatfield School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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.