Enrollment
529
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Niles, MI
Howardellis Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Howardellis Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262556006205
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howardellis Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Niles · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 62.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Howardellis Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howardellis Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Niles, MI.
School address
District: Niles Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262556006205 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howardellis Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howardellis Elementary School
Howardellis Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Niles, Michigan, enrolling 529 students.
At 17.1:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 529 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 532 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students) and Ballard Elementary School (516 students) alongside Howardellis 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 Howardellis Elementary School compares
Howardellis 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 | 17.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.4% | ▲ 15% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 529 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
529
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in Michigan - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.8%
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
$11,915
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
9
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 63.5%
African American 16.1%
Two or More 10.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Howardellis Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Community Schools, which includes Howardellis Elementary School.
$11,915
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 69.2%
Federal 11.2%
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 Howardellis Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ring Lardner Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Connections School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Niles Cedar Lane | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howardellis Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~529 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howardellis Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Howardellis Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles 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 Howardellis Elementary School
How many students attend Howardellis Elementary School?
Howardellis Elementary School has 529 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Niles, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howardellis Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howardellis Elementary School is 17.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 9% 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 Howardellis Elementary School?
62.4% of students at Howardellis Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howardellis Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Howardellis Elementary School is White at 63.5% of enrollment, in Niles, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howardellis Elementary School?
Howardellis Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Howardellis Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Niles?
By Resource Investment Index, Howardellis Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Niles, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Niles on the city page.
Is Howardellis Elementary School a good school?
Howardellis Elementary School earns 31/100 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 Niles Community Schools?
Besides Howardellis Elementary School, Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students), Ballard Elementary School (516 students), and Ring Lardner Middle School (510 students). See the Niles 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.