Enrollment
114
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sawyer, MI
Chikaming Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Chikaming Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262979006557
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chikaming Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Michigan schools.
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 57.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 114
- students enrolled
Chikaming Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: River Valley School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262979006557 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chikaming Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chikaming Elementary School
Chikaming Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Sawyer, Michigan, enrolling 114 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.4:1, Chikaming Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Michigan schools and 41% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.9% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 114 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 156 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 114 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding River Valley School District spends $18,831 per pupil, 39% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
River Valley School District also operates River Valley Middlehigh School (265 students) and Three Oaks Elementary School (195 students) alongside Chikaming 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 Chikaming Elementary School compares
Chikaming 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 41% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.9% | ▲ 7% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 114 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
114
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 41% below state mean
Top 9% in Michigan - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$18,831
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 114 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for River Valley School District, which includes Chikaming Elementary School.
$18,831
Per student
+39%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 81.7%
State 13.0%
Federal 5.3%
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 Chikaming Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Valley Middlehigh School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Three Oaks Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chikaming Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 195
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~114 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chikaming Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Chikaming Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- River Valley 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 Chikaming Elementary School
How many students attend Chikaming Elementary School?
Chikaming Elementary School has 114 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sawyer, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chikaming Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chikaming Elementary School is 10.4:1, which is 41% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 34% 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 Chikaming Elementary School?
57.9% of students at Chikaming Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chikaming Elementary School?
Chikaming Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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).
Is Chikaming Elementary School a good school?
Chikaming Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 River Valley School District?
Besides Chikaming Elementary School, River Valley School District also operates River Valley Middlehigh School (265 students) and Three Oaks Elementary School (195 students). See the River Valley 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.