Enrollment
187
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261644005336
Palmer School — Grand Rapids, MI
Federal NCES profile for Palmer School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 22/100.
👥 Class size 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmer School earns an F Resource Investment Index (22/100), with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- F
- Resource Index · 22/100
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 79.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 187
- students enrolled
School address
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmer School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Palmer School reports 187 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 11.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 2% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 79.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 46% above the Michigan average and 53% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 53.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Rapids Public Schools spends $19,650 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.7% from local sources (property taxes), 45.7% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Palmer School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.2% | ▲ 46% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 187 | top 23% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
16 smaller classes than 37% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
187 larger than 18% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
79.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 46% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 41% in Michigan — lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,650
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 187 Top 23% in Michigan — larger than 77% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 11.0
Students per teacher 16.2:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 79.2% +46% vs state
NCES ID 261644005336
Student demographics
African American 31.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.3%
White 22.5%
Two or More 15.5%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 31.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 53.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 20
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Rapids Public Schools, which includes Palmer School.
$19,650
Per student
+24%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
Similar other schools in Grand Rapids
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prepnet Virtual Academy
Standard public school
1,080 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Excel Charter Academy
Standard public school
791 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
West Mi Academy of Environmental Science
Standard public school
666 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue
Standard public school
661 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Knapp Forest Elementary School
Standard public school
520 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Palmer School
How many students attend Palmer School?
Palmer School has 187 students enrolled. It is a other school in GRAND RAPIDS, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmer School is 16.2:1, which is 11% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmer School?
79.2% of students at Palmer School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmer School?
The largest demographic group at Palmer School is African American at 31.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in GRAND RAPIDS, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmer School?
Palmer School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.