Enrollment
422
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Plymouth, MI
Isbister Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Isbister Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262856006416
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Isbister Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Plymouth · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Isbister Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Isbister Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Plymouth, MI.
School address
District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262856006416 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Isbister Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Isbister Elementary School
Isbister Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Plymouth, Michigan, enrolling 422 students.
At 16.9:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.7% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Michigan average.
With 422 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 296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #188.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Plymouth's elementary schools, it stands alongside Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy (823 students): Isbister Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 22.2:1).
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students) and Salem High School (1,871 students) alongside Isbister 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 Isbister Elementary School compares
Isbister 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 78% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Michigan - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,630
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 82.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 3.1%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 82.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.9, Isbister Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, which includes Isbister Elementary School.
$13,630
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Isbister Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salem High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plymouth High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Isbister Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,871
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,816
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Plymouth
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~422 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Isbister Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Isbister Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Plymouth-Canton 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 Isbister Elementary School
How many students attend Isbister Elementary School?
Isbister Elementary School has 422 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Plymouth, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Isbister Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Isbister Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Isbister Elementary School?
11.7% of students at Isbister Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Isbister Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Isbister Elementary School is White at 82.0% of enrollment, in Plymouth, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Isbister Elementary School?
Isbister Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Isbister Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Plymouth?
By Resource Investment Index, Isbister Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Plymouth, 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 Plymouth on the city page.
Is Isbister Elementary School a good school?
Isbister Elementary School earns 32/100 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 Plymouth-Canton Community Schools?
Besides Isbister Elementary School, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students), Salem High School (1,871 students), and Plymouth High School (1,816 students). See the Plymouth-Canton 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.