Enrollment
425
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 262187000630
Francis a Higgins Elem School — Chesterfield, MI
Federal NCES profile for Francis a Higgins Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 22
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: L'Anse Creuse Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Francis a Higgins Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Francis a Higgins Elem School reports 425 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 28.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 38.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 30% below the Michigan average and 26% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding L'Anse Creuse Public Schools spends $14,217 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.6% from local sources (property taxes), 56.0% from the state, and 12.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Francis a Higgins Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▼ 18% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.2% | ▼ 30% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 425 | top 63% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
38.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 30% 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
15:1
students per teacher
— 18% below state mean
Top 29% in Michigan — lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
31.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,217
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 425 Top 63% in Michigan — larger than 37% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 15:1 -18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 38.2% -30% vs state
NCES ID 262187000630
Student demographics
White 79.1%
Two or More 8.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
African American 5.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for L'Anse Creuse Public Schools, which includes Francis a Higgins Elem School.
$14,217
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 56.0%
Federal 12.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,545
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,172
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
Similar other schools in Chesterfield
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Francis a Higgins Elem School
How many students attend Francis a Higgins Elem School?
Francis a Higgins Elem School has 425 students enrolled. It is a other school in CHESTERFIELD, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Francis a Higgins Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Francis a Higgins Elem School is 15:1, which is 18% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Francis a Higgins Elem School?
38.2% of students at Francis a Higgins Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Francis a Higgins Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Francis a Higgins Elem School is White at 79.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in CHESTERFIELD, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Francis a Higgins Elem School?
Francis a Higgins Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.