Enrollment
403
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Niles, MI
Eastside Connections School
Federal NCES profile for Eastside Connections School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262556008289
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Eastside Connections School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Niles · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- students per teacher
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Eastside Connections School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Eastside Connections School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Niles, MI.
School address
District: Niles Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262556008289 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Eastside Connections School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Eastside Connections School
Eastside Connections School is a mid-sized elementary school in Niles, Michigan, enrolling 403 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 403 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 728 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #118.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 55/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students) and Howardellis Elementary School (529 students) alongside Eastside Connections 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 Eastside Connections School compares
Eastside Connections 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 24% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Michigan - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$11,915
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: 0.5 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 63.8%
African American 14.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Two or More 9.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 63.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Eastside Connections School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Community Schools, which includes Eastside Connections School.
$11,915
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 69.2%
Federal 11.2%
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 Eastside Connections School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howardellis Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballard Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ring Lardner Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Niles Cedar Lane | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Eastside Connections School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary 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 (~403 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Eastside Connections School's federal record.
- Compare Eastside Connections School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles 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 Eastside Connections School
How many students attend Eastside Connections School?
Eastside Connections School has 403 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Niles, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Eastside Connections School?
The student-teacher ratio at Eastside Connections School is 18.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Eastside Connections School?
41.4% of students at Eastside Connections School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Eastside Connections School?
The largest demographic group at Eastside Connections School is White at 63.8% of enrollment, in Niles, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Eastside Connections School?
Eastside Connections School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Eastside Connections School rank among elementary schools in Niles?
By Resource Investment Index, Eastside Connections School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Niles, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Niles on the city page.
Is Eastside Connections School a good school?
Eastside Connections School earns 35/100 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 Niles Community Schools?
Besides Eastside Connections School, Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students), Howardellis Elementary School (529 students), and Ballard Elementary School (516 students). See the Niles 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.