Enrollment
370
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carleton, MI
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Joseph C Sterling Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260198003943
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Carleton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 40.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph C Sterling Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Carleton, MI.
School address
District: Airport Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260198003943 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph C Sterling Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Carleton, Michigan, enrolling 370 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 370 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 681 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #120.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Carleton's public schools, it stands alongside Airport Center for Education (49 students): Joseph C Sterling Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students) and Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students) alongside Joseph C Sterling 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 Joseph C Sterling Elementary School compares
Joseph C Sterling 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.3% | ▼ 26% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 370 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
370
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Michigan - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,155
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
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 91.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.8, Joseph C Sterling Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Airport Community Schools, which includes Joseph C Sterling Elementary School.
$12,155
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 62.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Joseph C Sterling Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wagar 78 Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Loren Eyler Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fred W Ritter Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Henry Niedermeier Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joseph C Sterling Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 29.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other schools in Carleton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~370 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joseph C Sterling Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Joseph C Sterling Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Airport 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 Joseph C Sterling Elementary School
How many students attend Joseph C Sterling Elementary School?
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School has 370 students enrolled. It is a public school in Carleton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School is 19.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School?
40.3% of students at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph C Sterling Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Joseph C Sterling Elementary School is White at 91.6% of enrollment, in Carleton, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph C Sterling Elementary School?
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Joseph C Sterling Elementary School rank among public schools in Carleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph C Sterling Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Carleton, 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 Carleton on the city page.
Is Joseph C Sterling Elementary School a good school?
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Airport Community Schools?
Besides Joseph C Sterling Elementary School, Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students), Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students), and Loren Eyler Elementary School (292 students). See the Airport 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.