Enrollment
421
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Owosso, MI
Emerson School
Federal NCES profile for Emerson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262721006330
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Owosso · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 60.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Owosso, MI.
School address
District: Owosso Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262721006330 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson School
Emerson School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Owosso, Michigan, enrolling 421 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.0% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 643 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #290.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Owosso Public Schools also operates Owosso High School (805 students) and Owosso Middle School (641 students) alongside Emerson 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 Emerson School compares
Emerson 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.0% | ▲ 10% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 38% in Michigan - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$12,202
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
18
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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 90.3%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 0.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, Emerson School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Owosso Public Schools, which includes Emerson School.
$12,202
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 63.9%
Federal 13.7%
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 Emerson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owosso High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owosso Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryant School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Alternative High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 43.7:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson School's federal record.
- Compare Emerson School against another school. Compare schools
- Owosso 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 Emerson School
How many students attend Emerson School?
Emerson School has 421 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Owosso, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson School is 15.6:1, which is 11% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% 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 Emerson School?
60.0% of students at Emerson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson School?
The largest demographic group at Emerson School is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Owosso, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson School?
Emerson School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Emerson School rank among public schools in Owosso?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Owosso, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Owosso on the city page.
Is Emerson School a good school?
Emerson School earns 25/100 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 Owosso Public Schools?
Besides Emerson School, Owosso Public Schools also operates Owosso High School (805 students), Owosso Middle School (641 students), and Bryant School (431 students). See the Owosso 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.