Enrollment
440
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Alpena, MI
Ella M White Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ella M White Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260273003985
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ella M White Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Alpena · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- students per teacher
- 66.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ella M White Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ella M White Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Alpena, MI.
School address
District: Alpena Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260273003985 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ella M White Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ella M White Elementary
Ella M White Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Alpena, Michigan, enrolling 440 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 above the state's typical profile, with 66.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 440 puts it in the larger 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 569 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #531, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 2000 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Alpena Public Schools also operates Alpena High School (1,091 students) and Thunder Bay Junior High School (796 students) alongside Ella M White Elementary.
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 Ella M White Elementary compares
Ella M White Elementary 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 | 66.3% | ▲ 22% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 440 | top 34% | - | - |
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.
440
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
18.3:1
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
38.0%
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
$12,020
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
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 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 90.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.6, Ella M White Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alpena Public Schools, which includes Ella M White Elementary.
$12,020
Per student
-11%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 59.7%
Federal 13.1%
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 Ella M White Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thunder Bay Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Besser Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sanborn Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ella M White Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,091
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 220
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~440 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ella M White Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ella M White Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alpena 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 Ella M White Elementary
How many students attend Ella M White Elementary?
Ella M White Elementary has 440 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Alpena, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ella M White Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ella M White Elementary 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 Ella M White Elementary?
66.3% of students at Ella M White Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ella M White Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ella M White Elementary is White at 90.0% of enrollment, in Alpena, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ella M White Elementary?
Ella M White Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Ella M White Elementary rank among elementary schools in Alpena?
By Resource Investment Index, Ella M White Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Alpena, 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 Alpena on the city page.
Is Ella M White Elementary a good school?
Ella M White Elementary earns 15/100 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 Alpena Public Schools?
Besides Ella M White Elementary, Alpena Public Schools also operates Alpena High School (1,091 students), Thunder Bay Junior High School (796 students), and Besser Elementary School (470 students). See the Alpena 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.