Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ira, MI

Palms Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Palms Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261242004942
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10023/100
👥 S:T ratio
30
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Palms Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.

#1 of 4
public schools in Ira · Resource Index
23
Resource Index · Lower
17.5:1
students per teacher
32.1%
free-lunch eligible

Palms Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Palms Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ira, MI.

School address

Ira, MI 48023
District: East China School District · Michigan

NCES ID 261242004942 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+0 students YoY

Palms Elementary School held near 237 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 14.2 → 16.2 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+0 students YoY 261242004942 · Ira, MI Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

245 enr · 17.5:1 · 32.1% lunch · RII 23

Nearest enrollment peer: St Clair High School (715 students)

Palms Elementary School held near 237 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount). Teacher FTE added 14.2 → 16.2 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Michigan schools → · Find another →

Palms Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Palms Elementary School reports 245 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Palms Elementary School compares

Palms Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.5:1 ▼ 0% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 32.1% ▼ 41% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 245 top 69% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible - 41% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher - 0% above state mean
Top 57% in Michigan - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.3%
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
$14,213
per pupil, district-wide - below Michigan avg of $15,012
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
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 98.0%
Two or More 1.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Largest group: White at 98.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 3.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 3.9, Palms Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

District finance for East China School District reports $14,213 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Palms Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
St Clair High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
St Clair Middle School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Marine City High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Gearing Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Belle River Elementary School Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Palms Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

East China School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~245 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)

Frequently asked questions about Palms Elementary School

How many students attend Palms Elementary School?

Palms Elementary School has 245 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ira, MI. CCD year-over-year: 237 (2022-23) → 237 (2023-24), nearly flat (+0).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Palms Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Palms Elementary School is 17.5:1, which is 0% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palms Elementary School?

32.1% of students at Palms Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palms Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Palms Elementary School is White at 98.0% of enrollment, in Ira, MI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Palms Elementary School?

Palms Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Palms Elementary School rank among public schools in Ira?

By Resource Investment Index, Palms Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ira, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.

What other schools are in East China School District?

Besides Palms Elementary School, East China School District also operates St Clair High School (715 students), St Clair Middle School (614 students), and Marine City High School (437 students). See the East China School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .