Enrollment
227
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton Harbor, MI
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260029701848Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 32.4:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260029701848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+85% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 227 students.
Class loads run heavy: 32.4:1 is larger than about 96% of Michigan schools and 85% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 84% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 227 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.
Against 166 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #116.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.1% 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.
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, so Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy compares
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 32.4:1 | ▲ 85% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 84% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 227 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
32.4:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
227
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
32.4:1
students per teacher
- 85% above state mean
Top 96% in Michigan - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
59.9%
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
$12,302
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.9 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
African American 97.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
White 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 97.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.1, Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy, which includes Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy.
$12,302
Per student
-9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.0%
State 64.9%
Federal 29.1%
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.
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 (~227 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~32.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy'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 Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy?
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy has 227 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy is 32.4:1, which is 85% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 106% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy?
100.0% of students at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy is African American at 97.4% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy?
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy rank among elementary schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy 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 Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy a good school?
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Michigan schools. It is also less 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 Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy?
None; Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, and Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy is its only campus.
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.