Enrollment
556
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Caledonia, MI
Explorer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Explorer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262034000099
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Explorer Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Caledonia · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 47.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Explorer Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Caledonia, MI.
School address
District: Kentwood Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262034000099 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explorer Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Explorer Elementary
Explorer Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Caledonia, Michigan, enrolling 556 students.
At 17.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.6% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 556 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 634 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #99.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Kentwood Public Schools also operates East Kentwood High School (2,068 students) and Pinewood Middle School (842 students) alongside Explorer 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 Explorer Elementary compares
Explorer 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.6% | ▼ 12% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 556 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
556
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Michigan - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$13,199
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 33.8%
African American 27.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Asian 12.2%
Two or More 12.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 33.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.2, Explorer Elementary is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kentwood Public Schools, which includes Explorer Elementary.
$13,199
Per student
-2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.0%
State 50.9%
Federal 15.0%
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 Explorer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Kentwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pinewood Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Kentwood Freshman Campus | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crestwood Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Explorer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 742
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~556 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Explorer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Explorer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kentwood 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 Explorer Elementary
How many students attend Explorer Elementary?
Explorer Elementary has 556 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Caledonia, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explorer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Explorer Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 11% higher 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 Explorer Elementary?
47.6% of students at Explorer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explorer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Explorer Elementary is White at 33.8% of enrollment, in Caledonia, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explorer Elementary?
Explorer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Explorer Elementary rank among elementary schools in Caledonia?
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Caledonia, 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 Caledonia on the city page.
Is Explorer Elementary a good school?
Explorer Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Kentwood Public Schools?
Besides Explorer Elementary, Kentwood Public Schools also operates East Kentwood High School (2,068 students), Pinewood Middle School (842 students), and East Kentwood Freshman Campus (742 students). See the Kentwood 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.