Enrollment
229
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton Harbor, MI
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Martin Luther King Jr Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260483004175
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 94.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King Jr Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Benton Harbor Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260483004175 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Martin Luther King Jr Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 229 students.
At 16.4:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 94.1% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 229 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 223 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #159, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 99.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Benton Harbor Area Schools spends $16,532 per pupil, 22% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students) and Fair Plain Middle School (240 students) alongside Martin Luther King Jr Elementary.
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 Martin Luther King Jr Elementary compares
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.1% | ▲ 73% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 229 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
229
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 46% in Michigan - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
99.1%
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
$16,532
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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
African American 86.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
White 3.5%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 86.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.4, Martin Luther King Jr Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton Harbor Area Schools, which includes Martin Luther King Jr Elementary.
$16,532
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 29.7%
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 Martin Luther King Jr Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain East Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Enrichment Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Martin Luther King Jr Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 33.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 150
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 59:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~229 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Martin Luther King Jr Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Martin Luther King Jr Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Benton Harbor 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 Martin Luther King Jr Elementary
How many students attend Martin Luther King Jr Elementary?
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary has 229 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary is 16.4:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% 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 Martin Luther King Jr Elementary?
94.1% of students at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Martin Luther King Jr Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary is African American at 86.0% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Martin Luther King Jr Elementary?
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Martin Luther King Jr Elementary rank among elementary schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King Jr Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Martin Luther King Jr Elementary a good school?
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary earns 21/100 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 Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Besides Martin Luther King Jr Elementary, Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students), Fair Plain Middle School (240 students), and Fair Plain East Elementary (150 students). See the Benton Harbor 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.