Enrollment
262
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dowagiac, MI
Justus Gage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Justus Gage Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261215004919
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Justus Gage Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 7
- public schools in Dowagiac · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 71.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Justus Gage Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Justus Gage Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI.
School address
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004919 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Justus Gage Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Justus Gage Elementary School
Justus Gage Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dowagiac, Michigan, enrolling 262 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 262 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 419 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #314, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 524 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students) and Dowagiac Middle School (393 students) alongside Justus Gage 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 Justus Gage Elementary School compares
Justus Gage 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.5% | ▲ 32% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 36% in Michigan - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$14,021
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
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 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Largest group: White at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Justus Gage Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dowagiac Union School District, which includes Justus Gage Elementary School.
$14,021
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.7%
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 Justus Gage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dowagiac Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patrick Hamilton Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kincheloe Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Justus Gage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Justus Gage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Justus Gage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dowagiac Union 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 Justus Gage Elementary School
How many students attend Justus Gage Elementary School?
Justus Gage Elementary School has 262 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dowagiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Justus Gage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Justus Gage Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 12% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 2% 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 Justus Gage Elementary School?
71.5% of students at Justus Gage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Justus Gage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Justus Gage Elementary School is White at 66.4% of enrollment, in Dowagiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Justus Gage Elementary School?
Justus Gage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Justus Gage Elementary School rank among public schools in Dowagiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Justus Gage Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, 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 Dowagiac on the city page.
Is Justus Gage Elementary School a good school?
Justus Gage Elementary School earns 22/100 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 Dowagiac Union School District?
Besides Justus Gage Elementary School, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students), Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), and Patrick Hamilton Elementary (224 students). See the Dowagiac Union 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.