Enrollment
485
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lowell, MI
Cherry Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cherry Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262205000593
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherry Creek Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Lowell · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 37.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherry Creek Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherry Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lowell, MI.
School address
District: Lowell Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262205000593 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherry Creek Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherry Creek Elementary School
Cherry Creek Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lowell, Michigan, enrolling 485 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 485 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 667 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #123.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students) and Lowell Middle School (790 students) alongside Cherry Creek 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 Cherry Creek Elementary School compares
Cherry Creek 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.8% | ▼ 30% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Michigan - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$12,374
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
8
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 85.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 2.3%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.8, Cherry Creek Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowell Area Schools, which includes Cherry Creek Elementary School.
$12,374
Per student
-8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 59.6%
Federal 7.4%
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 Cherry Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lowell Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murray Lake Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alto Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bushnell Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherry Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,058
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~485 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherry Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cherry Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowell Area 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 Cherry Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Cherry Creek Elementary School?
Cherry Creek Elementary School has 485 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lowell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherry Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherry Creek Elementary School is 18:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cherry Creek Elementary School?
37.8% of students at Cherry Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherry Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cherry Creek Elementary School is White at 85.8% of enrollment, in Lowell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherry Creek Elementary School?
Cherry Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Cherry Creek Elementary School rank among public schools in Lowell?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherry Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lowell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lowell on the city page.
Is Cherry Creek Elementary School a good school?
Cherry Creek Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Lowell Area Schools?
Besides Cherry Creek Elementary School, Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students), Lowell Middle School (790 students), and Murray Lake Elementary (433 students). See the Lowell Area 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.