Enrollment
166
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ionia, MI
Emerson School
Federal NCES profile for Emerson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261925000852
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Ionia · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 65.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI.
School address
District: Ionia Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261925000852 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+20% 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 combined-grade school in Ionia, Michigan, enrolling 166 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.9:1, Emerson School is leaner than roughly 88% of Michigan schools and 32% 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 65.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 166 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 250 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #160.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 44/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students) and Ionia Middle School (629 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 32% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.1% | ▲ 20% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
166
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 12% in Michigan - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.2%
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
$11,191
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: 1.2 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 71.7%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 71.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Emerson School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ionia Public Schools, which includes Emerson School.
$11,191
Per student
-17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 65.0%
Federal 14.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ionia Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aa Rather School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rb Boyce Elementary School | Larger | Lower 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
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~166 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson School's federal record.
- Compare Emerson School against another school. Compare schools
- Ionia 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 166 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ionia, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson School is 11.9:1, which is 32% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% 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?
65.1% 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 71.7% of enrollment, in Ionia, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson School?
Emerson School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 schools in Ionia?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Ionia, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ionia on the city page.
Is Emerson School a good school?
Emerson School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Ionia Public Schools?
Besides Emerson School, Ionia Public Schools also operates Ionia High School (774 students), Ionia Middle School (629 students), and Aa Rather School (308 students). See the Ionia 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.