Enrollment
368
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 261995007948
El Sol Elementary — Kalamazoo, MI
Federal NCES profile for El Sol Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 61/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 86
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Kalamazoo Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Sol Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
El Sol Elementary reports 368 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% above the Michigan average and 19% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 5.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Kalamazoo Public Schools spends $17,334 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.5% from local sources (property taxes), 51.9% from the state, and 15.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How El Sol Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.5:1 | ▲ 2% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 13% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 368 | top 52% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 13% 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
18.5:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 67% in Michigan — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$17,334
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 368 Top 52% in Michigan — larger than 48% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 18.5:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.5% +13% vs state
NCES ID 261995007948
Student demographics
White 43.8%
Hispanic or Latino 35.1%
Two or More 12.0%
African American 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.3%
Largest group: White at 43.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 5.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalamazoo Public Schools, which includes El Sol Elementary.
$17,334
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.5%
State 51.9%
Federal 15.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,785
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,613
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 889
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
Similar elementary schools in Kalamazoo
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Comstock Elementary School
Standard public school
597 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Alamo Elementary School
Standard public school
287 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Parchment North Elem School
Standard public school
208 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Forest Academy
Standard public school
66 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about El Sol Elementary
How many students attend El Sol Elementary?
El Sol Elementary has 368 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in KALAMAZOO, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Sol Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at El Sol Elementary is 18.5:1, which is 2% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Sol Elementary?
61.5% of students at El Sol Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Sol Elementary?
The largest demographic group at El Sol Elementary is White at 43.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in KALAMAZOO, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Sol Elementary?
El Sol Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.