Enrollment
790
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lowell, MI
Lowell Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Lowell Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262205005929
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowell Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Lowell · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 25.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowell Middle School has class sizes larger than 71% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Lowell, MI.
School address
District: Lowell Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262205005929 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowell Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowell Middle School
Lowell Middle School is a large middle school in Lowell, Michigan, enrolling 790 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 91% of state schools at 790 students.
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 #170.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 395 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students) and Cherry Creek Elementary School (485 students) alongside Lowell Middle 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 Lowell Middle School compares
Lowell Middle 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.8% | ▼ 52% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 790 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
790
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 71% in Michigan - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$12,374
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 395 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.6 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 89.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.3, Lowell Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowell Area Schools, which includes Lowell Middle School.
$12,374
Per student
-8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 59.6%
Federal 7.4%
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 Lowell Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherry Creek Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murray Lake Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alto Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bushnell Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowell Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,058
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle 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 (~790 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowell Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Lowell Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowell Area 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 Lowell Middle School
How many students attend Lowell Middle School?
Lowell Middle School has 790 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lowell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowell Middle School is 18.8:1, which is 7% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lowell Middle School?
25.8% of students at Lowell Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowell Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Lowell Middle School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Lowell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowell Middle School?
Lowell Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Lowell Middle School rank among public schools in Lowell?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Lowell, 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 Lowell on the city page.
Is Lowell Middle School a good school?
Lowell Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Lowell Area Schools?
Besides Lowell Middle School, Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students), Cherry Creek Elementary School (485 students), and Murray Lake Elementary (433 students). See the Lowell Area 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.