Enrollment
73
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ionia, MI
Douglas R Welch High School
Federal NCES profile for Douglas R Welch High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261925001313
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Douglas R Welch High School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Michigan schools.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Ionia · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 36.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 73.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Douglas R Welch High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Douglas R Welch High School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI.
School address
District: Ionia Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261925001313 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
36.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+109% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Douglas R Welch High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Douglas R Welch High School
Douglas R Welch High School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Ionia, Michigan, enrolling 73 students.
Class loads run heavy: 36.5:1 is larger than about 97% of Michigan schools and 109% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 73 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 112 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #91, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students) and Ionia Middle School (629 students) alongside Douglas R Welch High 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 Douglas R Welch High School compares
Douglas R Welch High 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 | 36.5:1 | ▲ 109% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.5% | ▲ 35% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 73 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
36.5:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
73
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
36.5:1
students per teacher
- 109% above state mean
Top 97% in Michigan - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$11,191
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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 78.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
African American 4.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Douglas R Welch High School is about as mixed as the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ionia Public Schools, which includes Douglas R Welch High School.
$11,191
Per student
-17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 65.0%
Federal 14.9%
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 Douglas R Welch High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ionia Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aa Rather School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rb Boyce Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Douglas R Welch High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~73 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Douglas R Welch High School's federal record.
- Compare Douglas R Welch High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ionia Public 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 Douglas R Welch High School
How many students attend Douglas R Welch High School?
Douglas R Welch High School has 73 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Ionia, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Douglas R Welch High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Douglas R Welch High School is 36.5:1, which is 109% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 132% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Douglas R Welch High School?
73.5% of students at Douglas R Welch High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Douglas R Welch High School?
The largest demographic group at Douglas R Welch High School is White at 78.1% of enrollment, in Ionia, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Douglas R Welch High School?
Douglas R Welch High School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Douglas R Welch High School rank among schools in Ionia?
By Resource Investment Index, Douglas R Welch High School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ionia on the city page.
Is Douglas R Welch High School a good school?
Douglas R Welch High School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Ionia Public Schools?
Besides Douglas R Welch High School, Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students), Ionia Middle School (629 students), and Aa Rather School (308 students). See the Ionia Public 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.