Enrollment
184
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lansing, MI
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263552007158
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 92% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #11 of 22
- schools in Lansing · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 67.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center has class sizes smaller than 92% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center ranks #11 of 22 schools in Lansing, MI.
School address
District: Waverly Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263552007158 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lansing, Michigan, enrolling 184 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is leaner than roughly 92% of Michigan schools and 45% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 184 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 278 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #135.
Its student body is led by African American (28%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 78/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lansing's public schools, it stands alongside Lewton School (272 students): Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.7:1 vs 18.1:1).
Waverly Community Schools also operates Waverly Senior High School (987 students) and Waverly Middle School (451 students) alongside Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center.
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 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center compares
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 45% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.2% | ▲ 24% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 184 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
184
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 45% below state mean
Top 8% in Michigan - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.7%
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
$14,200
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.
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 27.7%
Hispanic or Latino 25.0%
Two or More 21.2%
White 19.0%
Asian 7.1%
Largest group: African American at 27.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.5, Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waverly Community Schools, which includes Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center.
$14,200
Per student
+5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.4%
State 48.8%
Federal 9.8%
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 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waverly Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winans Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elmwood Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 987
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Lansing
2 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 (~184 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center's federal record.
- Compare Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center against another school. Compare schools
- Waverly Community 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 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center
How many students attend Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center?
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center has 184 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lansing, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is 9.7:1, which is 45% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 38% lower 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 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center?
67.2% of students at Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center is African American at 27.7% of enrollment, in Lansing, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center?
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center rank among schools in Lansing?
By Resource Investment Index, Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center ranks #11 of 22 schools in Lansing, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lansing on the city page.
Is Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center a good school?
Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 92% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Waverly Community Schools?
Besides Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center, Waverly Community Schools also operates Waverly Senior High School (987 students), Waverly Middle School (451 students), and East Intermediate School (429 students). See the Waverly Community 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.