Enrollment
288
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kalamazoo, MI
Cooper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cooper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262853006400
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cooper Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #18 of 26
- schools in Kalamazoo · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 23.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cooper Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Elementary School ranks #18 of 26 schools in Kalamazoo, MI.
School address
District: Plainwell Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262853006400 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cooper Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cooper Elementary School
Cooper Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, enrolling 288 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.9% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Michigan average.
With 288 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 293 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #92.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Kalamazoo's public schools, it stands alongside Washington Writers Academy (260 students): Cooper Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 20:1).
Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell High School (828 students) and Plainwell Middle School (569 students) alongside Cooper 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 Cooper Elementary School compares
Cooper 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 | 23.9% | ▼ 56% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 62% | - | - |
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.
288
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; 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
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,416
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 + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 91.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.4, Cooper Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainwell Community Schools, which includes Cooper Elementary School.
$11,416
Per student
-15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 62.4%
Federal 10.4%
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 Cooper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plainwell Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gilkey Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Starr Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cooper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Kalamazoo
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~288 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cooper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cooper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainwell Community 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 Cooper Elementary School
How many students attend Cooper Elementary School?
Cooper Elementary School has 288 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kalamazoo, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cooper 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 Cooper Elementary School?
23.9% of students at Cooper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cooper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cooper Elementary School is White at 91.3% of enrollment, in Kalamazoo, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cooper Elementary School?
Cooper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Cooper Elementary School rank among schools in Kalamazoo?
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Elementary School ranks #18 of 26 schools in Kalamazoo, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kalamazoo on the city page.
Is Cooper Elementary School a good school?
Cooper Elementary School earns 37/100 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 Plainwell Community Schools?
Besides Cooper Elementary School, Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell High School (828 students), Plainwell Middle School (569 students), and Gilkey Elementary School (439 students). See the Plainwell Community 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.