Enrollment
494
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Portage, MI
Lake Center Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lake Center Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262895006488
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Center Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #8 of 9
- schools in Portage · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Center Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Center Elementary School ranks #8 of 9 schools in Portage, MI.
School address
District: Portage Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262895006488 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Center Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Center Elementary School
Lake Center Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Portage, Michigan, enrolling 494 students.
At 15.9:1, 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, 22.1% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 494 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 492 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #311.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Portage's public schools, it stands alongside Woodsedge Learning Center (222 students): Lake Center Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 6.5:1).
Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students) and Portage Northern High School (1,194 students) alongside Lake Center 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 Lake Center Elementary School compares
Lake Center 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 59% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 41% in Michigan - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.2%
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
$12,499
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
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 76.1%
Two or More 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Asian 3.6%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.3, Lake Center Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portage Public Schools, which includes Lake Center Elementary School.
$12,499
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 57.3%
Federal 6.3%
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 Lake Center Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portage Northern High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portage Central Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portage West Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portage North Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Center Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,194
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Portage
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 (~494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Center Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lake Center Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Portage Public 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 Lake Center Elementary School
How many students attend Lake Center Elementary School?
Lake Center Elementary School has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Portage, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Center Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Center Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 9% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% 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 Lake Center Elementary School?
22.1% of students at Lake Center Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Center Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lake Center Elementary School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Portage, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Center Elementary School?
Lake Center Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Lake Center Elementary School rank among schools in Portage?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Center Elementary School ranks #8 of 9 schools in Portage, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Portage on the city page.
Is Lake Center Elementary School a good school?
Lake Center Elementary School earns 29/100 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 Portage Public Schools?
Besides Lake Center Elementary School, Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students), Portage Northern High School (1,194 students), and Portage Central Middle School (719 students). See the Portage Public 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.