Enrollment
150
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton Harbor, MI
Fair Plain East Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fair Plain East Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260483004170
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fair Plain East Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 95.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Fair Plain East Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fair Plain East Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Benton Harbor Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260483004170 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fair Plain East Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fair Plain East Elementary
Fair Plain East Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 150 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 95.3% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 150 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 88.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Benton Harbor Area Schools spends $16,532 per pupil, 22% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 71 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 150 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students) and Fair Plain Middle School (240 students) alongside Fair Plain East 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 Fair Plain East Elementary compares
Fair Plain East 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 14% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.3% | ▲ 76% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 150 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
150
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 32% in Michigan - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
88.7%
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
$16,532
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.3 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
African American 88.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
Two or More 4.0%
White 3.3%
Largest group: African American at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.1, Fair Plain East Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton Harbor Area Schools, which includes Fair Plain East Elementary.
$16,532
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 29.7%
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 Fair Plain East Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Enrichment Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fair Plain East Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 33.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 59:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~150 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fair Plain East Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fair Plain East Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Benton Harbor Area 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 Fair Plain East Elementary
How many students attend Fair Plain East Elementary?
Fair Plain East Elementary has 150 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fair Plain East Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fair Plain East Elementary is 15:1, which is 14% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% 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 Fair Plain East Elementary?
95.3% of students at Fair Plain East Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fair Plain East Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fair Plain East Elementary is African American at 88.0% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fair Plain East Elementary?
Fair Plain East Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Fair Plain East Elementary rank among elementary schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Fair Plain East Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, 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 Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Fair Plain East Elementary a good school?
Fair Plain East Elementary earns 23/100 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 Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Besides Fair Plain East Elementary, Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students), Fair Plain Middle School (240 students), and Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students). See the Benton Harbor Area 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.