Enrollment
359
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Houghton, MI
Houghton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Houghton Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262889000846
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houghton Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Houghton · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Houghton Middle School has class sizes larger than 72% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Houghton, MI.
School address
District: Houghton-Portage Township School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262889000846 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houghton Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houghton Middle School
Houghton Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Houghton, Michigan, enrolling 359 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 359 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 502 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #272.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Houghton-Portage Township School District also operates Houghton Elementary School (618 students) and Houghton Central High School (481 students) alongside Houghton 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 Houghton Middle School compares
Houghton 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 | 18.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 48% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 359 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
359
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 72% in Michigan - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$11,319
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 89.1%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.2, Houghton Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houghton-Portage Township School District, which includes Houghton Middle School.
$11,319
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.6%
State 64.7%
Federal 9.8%
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 Houghton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houghton Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houghton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~359 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houghton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Houghton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Houghton-Portage Township 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 Houghton Middle School
How many students attend Houghton Middle School?
Houghton Middle School has 359 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Houghton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houghton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houghton Middle School is 18.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houghton Middle School?
28.4% of students at Houghton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houghton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Houghton Middle School is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Houghton, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houghton Middle School?
Houghton Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Houghton Middle School rank among public schools in Houghton?
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Houghton, 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 Houghton on the city page.
Is Houghton Middle School a good school?
Houghton Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Houghton-Portage Township School District?
Besides Houghton Middle School, Houghton-Portage Township School District also operates Houghton Elementary School (618 students) and Houghton Central High School (481 students). See the Houghton-Portage Township 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.