Enrollment
378
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bay City, MI
Mcalearsawden Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Mcalearsawden Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260426004112
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcalearsawden Elem School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Bay City · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 49.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcalearsawden Elem School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalearsawden Elem School ranks #2 of 9 schools in Bay City, MI.
School address
District: Bay City School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260426004112 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcalearsawden Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcalearsawden Elem School
Mcalearsawden Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bay City, Michigan, enrolling 378 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.1% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 378 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 730 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bay City's public schools, it stands alongside Bay City Academy Farragut Campus (373 students): Mcalearsawden Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 20.7:1).
Bay City School District also operates Bay City Western High School (1,009 students) and Bay City Central High School (921 students) alongside Mcalearsawden Elem 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 Mcalearsawden Elem School compares
Mcalearsawden Elem 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.1% | ▼ 10% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 378 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
378
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Michigan - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$13,620
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
Counselors0.0 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. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 82.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.6, Mcalearsawden Elem School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay City School District, which includes Mcalearsawden Elem School.
$13,620
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.2%
State 61.2%
Federal 18.7%
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 Mcalearsawden Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bay City Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Handy Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Auburn Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcalearsawden Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,009
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Bay City
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 (~378 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcalearsawden Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Mcalearsawden Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Bay City 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 Mcalearsawden Elem School
How many students attend Mcalearsawden Elem School?
Mcalearsawden Elem School has 378 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bay City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcalearsawden Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcalearsawden Elem School is 15.8:1, which is 10% 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 Mcalearsawden Elem School?
49.1% of students at Mcalearsawden Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcalearsawden Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Mcalearsawden Elem School is White at 82.0% of enrollment, in Bay City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcalearsawden Elem School?
Mcalearsawden Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Mcalearsawden Elem School rank among schools in Bay City?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalearsawden Elem School ranks #2 of 9 schools in Bay City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bay City on the city page.
Is Mcalearsawden Elem School a good school?
Mcalearsawden Elem School earns 50/100 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 Bay City School District?
Besides Mcalearsawden Elem School, Bay City School District also operates Bay City Western High School (1,009 students), Bay City Central High School (921 students), and Western Middle School (681 students). See the Bay City 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.