Enrollment
515
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Grand Rapids, MI
Northern Hills Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northern Hills Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 261461005160
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northern Hills Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 16
- middle schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- students per teacher
- 14.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Northern Hills Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Hills Middle School ranks #1 of 16 middle schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Forest Hills Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261461005160 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Hills Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northern Hills Middle School
Northern Hills Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.8% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 515 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 376 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #119.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Grand Rapids's middle schools, it stands alongside Alger Middle School (314 students): Northern Hills Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.8:1 vs 19.6:1).
Forest Hills Public Schools also operates Northern High School (1,088 students) and Central High School (999 students) alongside Northern Hills 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 Northern Hills Middle School compares
Northern Hills 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.8% | ▼ 73% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Michigan - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.7%
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
$12,945
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 258 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 67.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Asian 9.9%
Two or More 6.6%
African American 6.4%
Largest group: White at 67.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Northern Hills Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forest Hills Public Schools, which includes Northern Hills Middle School.
$12,945
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 52.0%
Federal 5.4%
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 Northern Hills Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastern Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Trails 56 School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northern Hills Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~515 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northern Hills Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northern Hills Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Forest Hills 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 Northern Hills Middle School
How many students attend Northern Hills Middle School?
Northern Hills Middle School has 515 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Hills Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Hills Middle School is 17.8:1, which is 2% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northern Hills Middle School?
14.8% of students at Northern Hills Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Hills Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northern Hills Middle School is White at 67.0% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Hills Middle School?
Northern Hills Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Northern Hills Middle School rank among middle schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Hills Middle School ranks #1 of 16 middle schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Northern Hills Middle School a good school?
Northern Hills Middle School earns 38/100 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 Forest Hills Public Schools?
Besides Northern Hills Middle School, Forest Hills Public Schools also operates Northern High School (1,088 students), Central High School (999 students), and Eastern High School (768 students). See the Forest Hills 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.