Enrollment
214
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dowagiac, MI
Kincheloe Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kincheloe Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261215004925
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kincheloe Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Dowagiac · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 55.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Kincheloe Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kincheloe Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI.
School address
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004925 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kincheloe Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kincheloe Elementary School
Kincheloe Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Dowagiac, Michigan, enrolling 214 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.2% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 214 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #207.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.9% 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 Kincheloe 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 Kincheloe Elementary School compares
Kincheloe 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.2% | ▲ 2% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 214 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
214
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 26% in Michigan - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.9%
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 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
Two or More 8.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Kincheloe 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 Kincheloe 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 Kincheloe Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dowagiac Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Justus Gage Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Patrick Hamilton Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kincheloe 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
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~214 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kincheloe Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kincheloe 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 Kincheloe Elementary School
How many students attend Kincheloe Elementary School?
Kincheloe Elementary School has 214 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dowagiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kincheloe Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kincheloe Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 18% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 9% 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 Kincheloe Elementary School?
55.2% of students at Kincheloe Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kincheloe Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kincheloe Elementary School is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in Dowagiac, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kincheloe Elementary School?
Kincheloe Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Kincheloe Elementary School rank among public schools in Dowagiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Kincheloe Elementary School ranks #2 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 Kincheloe Elementary School a good school?
Kincheloe Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Dowagiac Union School District?
Besides Kincheloe Elementary School, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students), Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), and Justus Gage Elementary School (262 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.