Enrollment
473
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pinckney, MI
Pathfinder School
Federal NCES profile for Pathfinder School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262814001141
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pathfinder School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Pinckney · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 25.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pathfinder School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinder School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pinckney, MI.
School address
District: Pinckney Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262814001141 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pathfinder School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pathfinder School
Pathfinder School is a mid-sized middle school in Pinckney, Michigan, enrolling 473 students.
At 17.5:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 473 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 553 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #253.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Pinckney Community Schools also operates Pinckney Community High School (619 students) and Navigator Upper Elementary School (491 students) alongside Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder School compares
Pathfinder 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.7% | ▼ 53% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 29% | - | - |
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.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; 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
25.8%
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
$11,000
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.7, Pathfinder School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pinckney Community Schools, which includes Pathfinder School.
$11,000
Per student
-19%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 45.9%
Federal 8.7%
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 Pathfinder School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinckney Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Navigator Upper Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Farley Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Country Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| The Link a Pathway to Success | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Pathfinder School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 233
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle 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 (~473 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pathfinder School's federal record.
- Compare Pathfinder School against another school. Compare schools
- Pinckney 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 Pathfinder School
How many students attend Pathfinder School?
Pathfinder School has 473 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pinckney, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pathfinder School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder School?
25.7% of students at Pathfinder School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pathfinder School?
The largest demographic group at Pathfinder School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Pinckney, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pathfinder School?
Pathfinder School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Pathfinder School rank among public schools in Pinckney?
By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinder School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pinckney, 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 Pinckney on the city page.
Is Pathfinder School a good school?
Pathfinder 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 Pinckney Community Schools?
Besides Pathfinder School, Pinckney Community Schools also operates Pinckney Community High School (619 students), Navigator Upper Elementary School (491 students), and Farley Hill Elementary School (233 students). See the Pinckney 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.