Enrollment
240
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Benton Harbor, MI
Fair Plain Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Fair Plain Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 260483004173
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fair Plain Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 96.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Fair Plain Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fair Plain Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Benton Harbor Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260483004173 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fair Plain Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fair Plain Middle School
Fair Plain Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 240 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 96.9% of students qualify for free meals, 78% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 240 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
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.
Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students) and Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students) alongside Fair Plain Middle 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 Fair Plain Middle School compares
Fair Plain Middle 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 14% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.9% | ▲ 78% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 240 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
240
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Michigan - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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 91.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 2.9%
White 1.7%
Largest group: African American at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.4, Fair Plain Middle School 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 Middle School.
$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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain East Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower 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 Middle School'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
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 150
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 59:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar middle 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 (~240 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fair Plain Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Fair Plain Middle School 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 Middle School
How many students attend Fair Plain Middle School?
Fair Plain Middle School has 240 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fair Plain Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fair Plain Middle School is 20:1, which is 14% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fair Plain Middle School?
96.9% of students at Fair Plain Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fair Plain Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Fair Plain Middle School is African American at 91.3% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fair Plain Middle School?
Fair Plain Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fair Plain Middle School rank among public schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Fair Plain Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public 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 public schools in Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Fair Plain Middle School a good school?
Fair Plain Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Besides Fair Plain Middle School, Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students), Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students), and Fair Plain East Elementary (150 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.