Enrollment
307
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Montague, MI
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Nellie B Chisholm Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262418006101
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Montague · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 43.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nellie B Chisholm Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Montague, MI.
School address
District: Montague Area Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262418006101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nellie B Chisholm Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nellie B Chisholm Middle School
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Montague, Michigan, enrolling 307 students.
At 16.2:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 307 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 612 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #368.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Montague Area Public Schools also operates Oehrli Elementary School (436 students) and Montague High School (419 students) alongside Nellie B Chisholm 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 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School compares
Nellie B Chisholm 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.9% | ▼ 19% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
307
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 44% in Michigan - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.7%
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
$13,559
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.3 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 6.5%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.2, Nellie B Chisholm Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montague Area Public Schools, which includes Nellie B Chisholm Middle School.
$13,559
Per student
+0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.6%
State 50.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oehrli Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montague High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Montague Area Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nellie B Chisholm Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~307 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nellie B Chisholm Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Nellie B Chisholm Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Montague Area Public 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 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School
How many students attend Nellie B Chisholm Middle School?
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School has 307 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Montague, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nellie B Chisholm Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nellie B Chisholm Middle School is 16.2:1, which is 7% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School?
43.9% of students at Nellie B Chisholm Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nellie B Chisholm Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Nellie B Chisholm Middle School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Montague, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nellie B Chisholm Middle School?
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School rank among public schools in Montague?
By Resource Investment Index, Nellie B Chisholm Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Montague, 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 Montague on the city page.
Is Nellie B Chisholm Middle School a good school?
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School earns 26/100 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 Montague Area Public Schools?
Besides Nellie B Chisholm Middle School, Montague Area Public Schools also operates Oehrli Elementary School (436 students), Montague High School (419 students), and Montague Area Childhood Center (85 students). See the Montague Area Public 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.