Elementary school (grades K-5) · Watervliet, MI

North Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for North Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 263546007155
0/100100/10017/100
👥 S:T ratio
22
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

North Elementary School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools.

#3 of 4
public schools in Watervliet · Resource Index
17
Resource Index · Lower
19.5:1
large classes for Michigan
63.1%
free-lunch eligible

North Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, North Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Watervliet, MI.

Enrollment

312

Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

16.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

19.5:1

vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg

+11% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

63.1%

vs 54.3% Michigan avg

+16% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How North Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at North Elementary School

North Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Watervliet, Michigan, enrolling 312 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.1% of students eligible for free meals.

With 312 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.

Among 577 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #535, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 44/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 624 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

Watervliet School District also operates Watervliet Senior High School (360 students) and South Elementary School (335 students) alongside North Elementary 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 North Elementary School compares

North Elementary 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 19.5:1 ▲ 11% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 63.1% ▲ 16% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 312 top 57% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
312
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
63.1%
free-lunch eligible - 16% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher - 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Michigan - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$12,716
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 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 72.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%

Largest group: White at 72.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 43.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, North Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watervliet School District, which includes North Elementary School.

$12,716
Per student
-6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 64.2%
Federal 14.3%

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 North Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Watervliet Senior High School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
South Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Watervliet Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Way Watervliet High School Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to North Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Watervliet School District · 4 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on North Elementary School's federal record.

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 North Elementary School

How many students attend North Elementary School?

North Elementary School has 312 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Watervliet, MI.

What is the student-teacher ratio at North Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at North Elementary School is 19.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Elementary School?

63.1% of students at North Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at North Elementary School is White at 72.1% of enrollment, in Watervliet, MI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for North Elementary School?

North Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 North Elementary School rank among public schools in Watervliet?

By Resource Investment Index, North Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Watervliet, 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 Watervliet on the city page.

Is North Elementary School a good school?

North Elementary School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of 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 Watervliet School District?

Besides North Elementary School, Watervliet School District also operates Watervliet Senior High School (360 students), South Elementary School (335 students), and Watervliet Middle School (309 students). See the Watervliet School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.