Enrollment
224
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dryden, MI
Dryden Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dryden Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261224004927
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dryden Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 64.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 224
- students enrolled
Dryden Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Dryden Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261224004927 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dryden Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dryden Elementary School
Dryden Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dryden, Michigan, enrolling 224 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.2:1, Dryden Elementary School is leaner than roughly 89% of Michigan schools and 36% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 224 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 394 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #103.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Dryden Community Schools, also runs Dryden High School (214 students).
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 Dryden Elementary School compares
Dryden 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 36% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.1% | ▲ 18% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 224 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
224
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 11% in Michigan - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.4%
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
$12,092
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
5
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 89.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 89.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.8, Dryden Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dryden Community Schools, which includes Dryden Elementary School.
$12,092
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 53.1%
Federal 15.1%
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 Dryden Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryden High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dryden Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~224 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dryden Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dryden Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dryden 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 Dryden Elementary School
How many students attend Dryden Elementary School?
Dryden Elementary School has 224 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dryden, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dryden Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dryden Elementary School is 11.2:1, which is 36% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 29% 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 Dryden Elementary School?
64.1% of students at Dryden Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dryden Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dryden Elementary School is White at 89.3% of enrollment, in Dryden, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dryden Elementary School?
Dryden Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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).
Is Dryden Elementary School a good school?
Dryden Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% 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 Dryden Community Schools?
Besides Dryden Elementary School, Dryden Community Schools also operates Dryden High School (214 students). See the Dryden 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.