Enrollment
188
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Rapids, MI
Empower U
Federal NCES profile for Empower U, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 268062008363
👥 S:T ratio 74
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Empower U earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 14
- schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.5:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Empower U has class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Empower U ranks #1 of 14 schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
NCES ID 268062008363 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Empower U compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Empower U
Empower U is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 188 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.5:1, Empower U is leaner than roughly 95% of Michigan schools and 63% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 188 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 152 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Among Grand Rapids's public schools, it stands alongside City Middlehigh (955 students): Empower U is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Kent Isd also operates Lincoln School (99 students) and Pine Grove Learning Center (85 students) alongside Empower U.
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 Empower U compares
Empower U on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.5:1 | ▼ 63% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 40% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 188 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.5:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
188
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
6.5:1
students per teacher
- 63% below state mean
Top 5% in Michigan - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 56.4%
African American 19.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.9, Empower U is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
How Empower U Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine Grove Learning Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Developmental Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kent Isd Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kent Education Centerbeltline | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Empower U's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 5.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 77
- Students per teacher
- 6.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 61
- Students per teacher
- 3.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- 3.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Grand Rapids
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
City Middlehigh
Standard public school
955 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Harrison Park Academy
Standard public school
708 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
494 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center
Standard public school
287 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Hope Academy of West Michigan
Standard public school
284 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Mulick Park Elementary School
Standard public school
264 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~188 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~6.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Empower U's federal record.
- Compare Empower U against another school. Compare schools
- Kent Isd'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 Empower U
How many students attend Empower U?
Empower U has 188 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Empower U?
The student-teacher ratio at Empower U is 6.5:1, which is 63% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 59% 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 Empower U?
32.7% of students at Empower U are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Empower U?
The largest demographic group at Empower U is White at 56.4% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Empower U?
Empower U has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Empower U rank among schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Empower U ranks #1 of 14 schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Empower U a good school?
Empower U earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Kent Isd?
Besides Empower U, Kent Isd also operates Lincoln School (99 students), Pine Grove Learning Center (85 students), and Lincoln Developmental Center (77 students). See the Kent Isd 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.