Enrollment
433
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tawas City, MI
Clara B Bolen Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Clara B Bolen Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263351006887
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clara B Bolen Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Tawas City · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Clara B Bolen Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clara B Bolen Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tawas City, MI.
School address
District: Tawas Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263351006887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clara B Bolen Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clara B Bolen Elementary School
Clara B Bolen Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tawas City, Michigan, enrolling 433 students.
At 17.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 433 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 626 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #136.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Tawas Area Schools also operates Tawas Area High School (351 students) and Tawas Area Middle School (340 students) alongside Clara B Bolen 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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School compares
Clara B Bolen 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 | 17.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 433 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
433
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 56% in Michigan - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.8%
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
$11,877
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
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 91.2%
Two or More 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Clara B Bolen Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tawas Area Schools, which includes Clara B Bolen Elementary School.
$11,877
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 47.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawas Area High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tawas Area Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clara B Bolen Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 351
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~433 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clara B Bolen Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Clara B Bolen Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tawas 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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School
How many students attend Clara B Bolen Elementary School?
Clara B Bolen Elementary School has 433 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tawas City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clara B Bolen Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clara B Bolen Elementary School is 17.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 10% higher 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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School?
61.5% of students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clara B Bolen Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Clara B Bolen Elementary School is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Tawas City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clara B Bolen Elementary School?
Clara B Bolen Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School rank among schools in Tawas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Clara B Bolen Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tawas City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tawas City on the city page.
Is Clara B Bolen Elementary School a good school?
Clara B Bolen Elementary School earns 29/100 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 Tawas Area Schools?
Besides Clara B Bolen Elementary School, Tawas Area Schools also operates Tawas Area High School (351 students) and Tawas Area Middle School (340 students). See the Tawas 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.