Enrollment
434
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hillsdale, MI
Gier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261839008143
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gier Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Hillsdale · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gier Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gier Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hillsdale, MI.
School address
District: Hillsdale Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261839008143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gier Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gier Elementary School
Gier Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hillsdale, Michigan, enrolling 434 students.
At 16.1:1, 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 58.4% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 434 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 662 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #351.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hillsdale Community Schools also operates Hillsdale High School (370 students) and Davis Middle School (366 students) alongside Gier Elementary 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 Gier Elementary School compares
Gier Elementary 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▲ 8% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 434 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
434
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.3%
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
$12,879
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
Counselors0.0 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: 0.7 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 89.4%
Two or More 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.6, Gier Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsdale Community Schools, which includes Gier Elementary School.
$12,879
Per student
-5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 62.0%
Federal 16.1%
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 Gier Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davis Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon Alternative School | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Bailey Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gier Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 55
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 34
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsdale Community 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 Gier Elementary School
How many students attend Gier Elementary School?
Gier Elementary School has 434 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hillsdale, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gier Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Gier Elementary School?
58.4% of students at Gier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gier Elementary School is White at 89.4% of enrollment, in Hillsdale, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gier Elementary School?
Gier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Gier Elementary School rank among public schools in Hillsdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Gier Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hillsdale, 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 Hillsdale on the city page.
Is Gier Elementary School a good school?
Gier Elementary School earns 24/100 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 Hillsdale Community Schools?
Besides Gier Elementary School, Hillsdale Community Schools also operates Hillsdale High School (370 students), Davis Middle School (366 students), and Horizon Alternative School (55 students). See the Hillsdale Community 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.