Enrollment
230
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buchanan, MI
Ottawa Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ottawa Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260714004311
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ottawa Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Buchanan · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 49.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ottawa Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ottawa Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Buchanan, MI.
School address
District: Buchanan Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260714004311 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ottawa Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ottawa Elementary School
Ottawa Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buchanan, Michigan, enrolling 230 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.5% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 230 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 422 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #147.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Buchanan's public schools, it stands alongside Buchanan Virtual Academy (49 students): Ottawa Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 16.3:1).
Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 students) and Buchanan Middle School (358 students) alongside Ottawa 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 Ottawa Elementary School compares
Ottawa 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.5% | ▼ 9% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 230 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
230
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 35% in Michigan - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.4%
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
$12,590
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 84.8%
Two or More 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.4, Ottawa Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buchanan Community Schools, which includes Ottawa Elementary School.
$12,590
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.6%
State 61.6%
Federal 12.8%
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 Ottawa Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moccasin Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Virtual Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buchanan Step Up | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ottawa Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Buchanan
2 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 (~230 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ottawa Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ottawa Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Buchanan 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 Ottawa Elementary School
How many students attend Ottawa Elementary School?
Ottawa Elementary School has 230 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buchanan, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ottawa Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ottawa Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Ottawa Elementary School?
49.5% of students at Ottawa Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ottawa Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ottawa Elementary School is White at 84.8% of enrollment, in Buchanan, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ottawa Elementary School?
Ottawa Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Ottawa Elementary School rank among public schools in Buchanan?
By Resource Investment Index, Ottawa Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Buchanan, 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 Buchanan on the city page.
Is Ottawa Elementary School a good school?
Ottawa Elementary School earns 32/100 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 Buchanan Community Schools?
Besides Ottawa Elementary School, Buchanan Community Schools also operates Buchanan High School (561 students), Buchanan Middle School (358 students), and Moccasin Elementary School (354 students). See the Buchanan 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.