Enrollment
509
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sterling Heights, MI
Graebner Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Graebner Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263447007023
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Graebner Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #14 of 23
- schools in Sterling Heights · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.2:1
- students per teacher
- 52.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Graebner Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Graebner Elementary School ranks #14 of 23 schools in Sterling Heights, MI.
School address
District: Utica Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263447007023 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Graebner Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Graebner Elementary School
Graebner Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sterling Heights, Michigan, enrolling 509 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.1% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 509 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 643 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #302.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Utica Community Schools also operates Adlai Stevenson High School (1,881 students) and Henry Ford Ii High School (1,663 students) alongside Graebner 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 Graebner Elementary School compares
Graebner 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.1% | ▼ 4% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Michigan - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$12,513
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
3
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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
White 65.8%
African American 13.4%
Two or More 9.6%
Asian 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Graebner Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Utica Community Schools, which includes Graebner Elementary School.
$12,513
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 63.4%
Federal 9.5%
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 Graebner Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adlai Stevenson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henry Ford Ii High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Utica High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Malow Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Graebner Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,625
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,084
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~509 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Graebner Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Graebner Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Utica 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 Graebner Elementary School
How many students attend Graebner Elementary School?
Graebner Elementary School has 509 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sterling Heights, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Graebner Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Graebner Elementary School is 18.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Graebner Elementary School?
52.1% of students at Graebner Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Graebner Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Graebner Elementary School is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Sterling Heights, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Graebner Elementary School?
Graebner Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Graebner Elementary School rank among schools in Sterling Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Graebner Elementary School ranks #14 of 23 schools in Sterling Heights, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sterling Heights on the city page.
Is Graebner Elementary School a good school?
Graebner Elementary School earns 25/100 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 Utica Community Schools?
Besides Graebner Elementary School, Utica Community Schools also operates Adlai Stevenson High School (1,881 students), Henry Ford Ii High School (1,663 students), and Eisenhower High School (1,625 students). See the Utica 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.