Enrollment
598
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bay City, MI
Handy Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Handy Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 260426004105
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Handy Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 18
- public schools in Bay City · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 76.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Handy Middle School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Handy Middle School ranks #4 of 18 public schools in Bay City, MI.
School address
District: Bay City School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260426004105 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Handy Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Handy Middle School
Handy Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Bay City, Michigan, enrolling 598 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12:1, Handy Middle School is leaner than roughly 87% of Michigan schools and 31% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 598 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 351 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 199 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 86.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Bay City School District also operates Bay City Western High School (1,009 students) and Bay City Central High School (921 students) alongside Handy 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 Handy Middle School compares
Handy 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 31% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▲ 40% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 598 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
598
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 13% in Michigan - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
86.1%
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
$13,620
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 67.1%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 4.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.5, Handy Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay City School District, which includes Handy Middle School.
$13,620
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.2%
State 61.2%
Federal 18.7%
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 Handy Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bay City Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Auburn Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kolb Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Handy Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,009
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~598 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Handy Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Handy Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bay City School District'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 Handy Middle School
How many students attend Handy Middle School?
Handy Middle School has 598 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bay City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Handy Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Handy Middle School is 12:1, which is 31% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% lower 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 Handy Middle School?
76.2% of students at Handy Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Handy Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Handy Middle School is White at 67.1% of enrollment, in Bay City, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Handy Middle School?
Handy Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Handy Middle School rank among public schools in Bay City?
By Resource Investment Index, Handy Middle School ranks #4 of 18 public schools in Bay City, 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 Bay City on the city page.
Is Handy Middle School a good school?
Handy Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Bay City School District?
Besides Handy Middle School, Bay City School District also operates Bay City Western High School (1,009 students), Bay City Central High School (921 students), and Western Middle School (681 students). See the Bay City School District 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.