Enrollment
806
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Redford, MI
Lee M Thurston High School
Federal NCES profile for Lee M Thurston High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263228006762
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lee M Thurston High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 16
- public schools in Redford · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lee M Thurston High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lee M Thurston High School ranks #2 of 16 public schools in Redford, MI.
School address
District: South Redford School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263228006762 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lee M Thurston High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lee M Thurston High School
Lee M Thurston High School is a higher-need, large high school in Redford, Michigan, enrolling 806 students.
At 16.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.4% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 92% of state schools at 806 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 262 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 202 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding South Redford School District spends $16,196 per pupil, 20% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 202 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 806 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Redford's high schools, it stands alongside Veritas (56 students): Lee M Thurston High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 56:1).
South Redford School District also operates John D Pierce Middle School (577 students) and Fisher Elementary School (341 students) alongside Lee M Thurston High 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 Lee M Thurston High School compares
Lee M Thurston High 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▲ 8% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 806 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
806
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
72.5%
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
$16,196
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 202 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 201 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.1 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
African American 80.3%
White 8.8%
Two or More 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 80.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.2, Lee M Thurston High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Redford School District, which includes Lee M Thurston High School.
$16,196
Per student
+20%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.2%
State 63.1%
Federal 12.7%
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 Lee M Thurston High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John D Pierce Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fisher Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jane Addams Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vandenberg Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Elem School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lee M Thurston High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 248
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar high schools in Redford
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~806 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lee M Thurston High School's federal record.
- Compare Lee M Thurston High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Redford 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 Lee M Thurston High School
How many students attend Lee M Thurston High School?
Lee M Thurston High School has 806 students enrolled. It is a high school in Redford, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lee M Thurston High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lee M Thurston High School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Lee M Thurston High School?
58.4% of students at Lee M Thurston High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lee M Thurston High School?
The largest demographic group at Lee M Thurston High School is African American at 80.3% of enrollment, in Redford, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lee M Thurston High School?
Lee M Thurston High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lee M Thurston High School rank among public schools in Redford?
By Resource Investment Index, Lee M Thurston High School ranks #2 of 16 public schools in Redford, 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 Redford on the city page.
Is Lee M Thurston High School a good school?
Lee M Thurston High School earns 41/100 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 South Redford School District?
Besides Lee M Thurston High School, South Redford School District also operates John D Pierce Middle School (577 students), Fisher Elementary School (341 students), and Jane Addams Elementary School (297 students). See the South Redford 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.