Enrollment
18
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Niles, MI
Niles Virtual School
Federal NCES profile for Niles Virtual School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262556008297
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Niles Virtual School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Michigan.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Niles · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 65.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Niles Virtual School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Niles Virtual School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Niles, MI.
School address
District: Niles Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262556008297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Niles Virtual School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Niles Virtual School
Niles Virtual School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Niles, Michigan, enrolling 18 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Michigan schools, with 18 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 46 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #20.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 9 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 18 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Niles's public schools, it stands alongside Merritt Elementary School (304 students): Niles Virtual School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 16:1).
Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students) and Howardellis Elementary School (529 students) alongside Niles Virtual 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 Niles Virtual School compares
Niles Virtual 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.2% | ▲ 20% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 18 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
18
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Michigan - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,915
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.0 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
White 83.3%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Largest group: White at 83.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.1, Niles Virtual School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Community Schools, which includes Niles Virtual School.
$11,915
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 69.2%
Federal 11.2%
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 Niles Virtual School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howardellis Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballard Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ring Lardner Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Connections School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Niles Virtual School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Niles
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 (~18 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Niles Virtual School's federal record.
- Compare Niles Virtual School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles 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 Niles Virtual School
How many students attend Niles Virtual School?
Niles Virtual School has 18 students enrolled. It is a public school in Niles, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Niles Virtual School?
The student-teacher ratio at Niles Virtual School is 18:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Niles Virtual School?
65.2% of students at Niles Virtual School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Niles Virtual School?
The largest demographic group at Niles Virtual School is White at 83.3% of enrollment, in Niles, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Niles Virtual School?
Niles Virtual School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Niles Virtual School rank among schools in Niles?
By Resource Investment Index, Niles Virtual School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Niles, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Niles on the city page.
Is Niles Virtual School a good school?
Niles Virtual School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Michigan. 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 Niles Community Schools?
Besides Niles Virtual School, Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students), Howardellis Elementary School (529 students), and Ballard Elementary School (516 students). See the Niles 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.