Enrollment
289
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kalamazoo, MI
Parchment Central Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Parchment Central Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262742006348
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parchment Central Elem School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #23 of 26
- schools in Kalamazoo · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 53.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Parchment Central Elem School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parchment Central Elem School ranks #23 of 26 schools in Kalamazoo, MI.
School address
District: Parchment School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262742006348 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Parchment Central Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Parchment Central Elem School
Parchment Central Elem School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, enrolling 289 students.
At 16.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.4% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 289 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 579 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #459, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Two or More (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kalamazoo's public schools, it stands alongside Washington Writers Academy (260 students): Parchment Central Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 20:1).
Parchment School District also operates Parchment High School (412 students) and Parchment Middle School (352 students) alongside Parchment Central Elem 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 Parchment Central Elem School compares
Parchment Central Elem 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▼ 2% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 289 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
289
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.7%
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
$13,547
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
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 66.1%
Two or More 16.3%
African American 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 66.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Parchment Central Elem School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Parchment School District, which includes Parchment Central Elem School.
$13,547
Per student
+0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 61.0%
Federal 13.4%
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 Parchment Central Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parchment High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parchment Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parchment North Elem School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parchment Northwood Elem School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parchment Innovation Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parchment Central Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 178
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 119
- Students per teacher
- 39.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Kalamazoo
1 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 (~289 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Parchment Central Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Parchment Central Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Parchment 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 Parchment Central Elem School
How many students attend Parchment Central Elem School?
Parchment Central Elem School has 289 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kalamazoo, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parchment Central Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Parchment Central Elem School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% higher 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 Parchment Central Elem School?
53.4% of students at Parchment Central Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parchment Central Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Parchment Central Elem School is White at 66.1% of enrollment, in Kalamazoo, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parchment Central Elem School?
Parchment Central Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Parchment Central Elem School rank among schools in Kalamazoo?
By Resource Investment Index, Parchment Central Elem School ranks #23 of 26 schools in Kalamazoo, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kalamazoo on the city page.
Is Parchment Central Elem School a good school?
Parchment Central Elem School earns 22/100 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 Parchment School District?
Besides Parchment Central Elem School, Parchment School District also operates Parchment High School (412 students), Parchment Middle School (352 students), and Parchment North Elem School (208 students). See the Parchment 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.