Enrollment
209
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benzonia, MI
Crystal Lake Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Crystal Lake Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260495004183
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Crystal Lake Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Benzonia · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 65.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Crystal Lake Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Crystal Lake Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Benzonia, MI.
School address
District: Benzie County Central Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260495004183 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Crystal Lake Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Crystal Lake Elementary School
Crystal Lake Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Benzonia, Michigan, enrolling 209 students.
At 16.1:1, 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 65.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 209 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 345 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #129.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 209 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Benzie County Central Schools also operates Benzie Central Sr High School (292 students) and Benzie Central Middle School (239 students) alongside Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake Elementary School compares
Crystal Lake 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.8% | ▲ 21% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 209 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
209
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$13,049
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 209 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 87.1%
Two or More 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 87.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.4, Crystal Lake Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benzie County Central Schools, which includes Crystal Lake Elementary School.
$13,049
Per student
-3%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.6%
State 28.0%
Federal 11.4%
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 Crystal Lake Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzie Central Sr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benzie Central Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Ann Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Betsie Valley School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benzie Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Crystal Lake Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 180
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 85:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~209 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Crystal Lake Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Crystal Lake Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Benzie County Central 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 Crystal Lake Elementary School
How many students attend Crystal Lake Elementary School?
Crystal Lake Elementary School has 209 students enrolled. It is a public school in Benzonia, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Crystal Lake Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Crystal Lake Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Crystal Lake Elementary School?
65.8% of students at Crystal Lake Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Crystal Lake Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Crystal Lake Elementary School is White at 87.1% of enrollment, in Benzonia, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Crystal Lake Elementary School?
Crystal Lake Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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).
How does Crystal Lake Elementary School rank among public schools in Benzonia?
By Resource Investment Index, Crystal Lake Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Benzonia, 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 Benzonia on the city page.
Is Crystal Lake Elementary School a good school?
Crystal Lake Elementary School earns 31/100 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 Benzie County Central Schools?
Besides Crystal Lake Elementary School, Benzie County Central Schools also operates Benzie Central Sr High School (292 students), Benzie Central Middle School (239 students), and Lake Ann Elementary School (180 students). See the Benzie County Central 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.