Enrollment
439
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Plainwell, MI
Gilkey Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gilkey Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262853006401
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gilkey Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Plainwell · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 27.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Gilkey Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gilkey Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Plainwell, MI.
School address
District: Plainwell Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262853006401 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gilkey Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gilkey Elementary School
Gilkey Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Plainwell, Michigan, enrolling 439 students.
At 17.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 439 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 560 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #322.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1756 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell High School (828 students) and Plainwell Middle School (569 students) alongside Gilkey 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 Gilkey Elementary School compares
Gilkey 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.5% | ▼ 49% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 439 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
439
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 59% in Michigan - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,416
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 87.7%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Gilkey Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainwell Community Schools, which includes Gilkey Elementary School.
$11,416
Per student
-15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 62.4%
Federal 10.4%
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.
How Gilkey Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plainwell Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Starr Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooper Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gilkey Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other 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 (~439 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gilkey Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gilkey Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainwell 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 Gilkey Elementary School
How many students attend Gilkey Elementary School?
Gilkey Elementary School has 439 students enrolled. It is a public school in Plainwell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gilkey Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gilkey Elementary School is 17.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gilkey Elementary School?
27.5% of students at Gilkey Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gilkey Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gilkey Elementary School is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Plainwell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gilkey Elementary School?
Gilkey Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gilkey Elementary School rank among schools in Plainwell?
By Resource Investment Index, Gilkey Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Plainwell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Plainwell on the city page.
Is Gilkey Elementary School a good school?
Gilkey Elementary School earns 29/100 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 Plainwell Community Schools?
Besides Gilkey Elementary School, Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell High School (828 students), Plainwell Middle School (569 students), and Starr Elementary School (410 students). See the Plainwell 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.