Enrollment
246
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Onaway, MI
Onaway Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Onaway Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262640006288
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Onaway Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Onaway · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.5:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Onaway Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Onaway Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Onaway, MI.
School address
District: Onaway Area Community School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262640006288 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Onaway Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Onaway Elementary School
Onaway Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Onaway, Michigan, enrolling 246 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 444 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #294.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Onaway Area Community School District also operates Onaway Senior High School (159 students) and Onaway Middle School (106 students) alongside Onaway 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 Onaway Elementary School compares
Onaway 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 27% in Michigan - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.0%
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
$14,414
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 91.9%
Two or More 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.2, Onaway Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Onaway Area Community School District, which includes Onaway Elementary School.
$14,414
Per student
+7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.5%
State 37.6%
Federal 17.0%
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 Onaway Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onaway Senior High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Onaway Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Onaway Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 159
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 106
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~246 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Onaway Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Onaway Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Onaway Area Community School District'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 Onaway Elementary School
How many students attend Onaway Elementary School?
Onaway Elementary School has 246 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Onaway, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Onaway Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Onaway Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 17% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Onaway Elementary School?
61.5% of students at Onaway Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Onaway Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Onaway Elementary School is White at 91.9% of enrollment, in Onaway, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Onaway Elementary School?
Onaway Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Onaway Elementary School rank among public schools in Onaway?
By Resource Investment Index, Onaway Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Onaway, 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 Onaway on the city page.
Is Onaway Elementary School a good school?
Onaway Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Onaway Area Community School District?
Besides Onaway Elementary School, Onaway Area Community School District also operates Onaway Senior High School (159 students) and Onaway Middle School (106 students). See the Onaway Area Community School District 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.