Enrollment
786
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, MI
Northwest Kidder Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Kidder Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262601006253
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Kidder Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Michigan schools.
- #9 of 25
- public schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 47.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Kidder Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Kidder Middle School ranks #9 of 25 public schools in Jackson, MI.
School address
District: Northwest Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262601006253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Kidder Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Kidder Middle School
Northwest Kidder Middle School is a large middle school in Jackson, Michigan, enrolling 786 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.5% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 91% of state schools at 786 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 342 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #178.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 393 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Fourth Street Learning Center (27 students): Northwest Kidder Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 5.4:1).
Northwest Community Schools also operates Northwest High School (958 students) and Northwest Early Elementary School (848 students) alongside Northwest Kidder 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 Northwest Kidder Middle School compares
Northwest Kidder 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.5% | ▼ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 786 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
786
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 30% in Michigan - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$11,340
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 393 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 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 73.8%
Two or More 12.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
African American 5.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Northwest Kidder Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwest Community Schools, which includes Northwest Kidder Middle School.
$11,340
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 65.0%
Federal 15.3%
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 Northwest Kidder Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Early Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwest Connect | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Kidder Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 157
- Students per teacher
- 39.3:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar middle schools in Jackson
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 (~786 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Kidder Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Kidder Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Northwest 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 Northwest Kidder Middle School
How many students attend Northwest Kidder Middle School?
Northwest Kidder Middle School has 786 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Kidder Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Kidder Middle School is 14.8:1, which is 15% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 6% lower 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 Northwest Kidder Middle School?
47.5% of students at Northwest Kidder Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Kidder Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Kidder Middle School is White at 73.8% of enrollment, in Jackson, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Kidder Middle School?
Northwest Kidder Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Northwest Kidder Middle School rank among public schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Kidder Middle School ranks #9 of 25 public schools in Jackson, 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 Jackson on the city page.
Is Northwest Kidder Middle School a good school?
Northwest Kidder Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Northwest Community Schools?
Besides Northwest Kidder Middle School, Northwest Community Schools also operates Northwest High School (958 students), Northwest Early Elementary School (848 students), and Northwest Elementary School (758 students). See the Northwest 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.