Enrollment
224
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dowagiac, MI
Patrick Hamilton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Patrick Hamilton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261215004921
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Patrick Hamilton Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Dowagiac · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 86.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Patrick Hamilton Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Patrick Hamilton Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI.
School address
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004921 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Patrick Hamilton Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Patrick Hamilton Elementary
Patrick Hamilton Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Dowagiac, Michigan, enrolling 224 students.
At 16:1, 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 is high: 86.9% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 224 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 283 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #231, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 448 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 57 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 224 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students) and Dowagiac Middle School (393 students) alongside Patrick Hamilton Elementary.
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 Patrick Hamilton Elementary compares
Patrick Hamilton Elementary 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 | ▼ 9% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.9% | ▲ 60% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 224 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
224
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 42% in Michigan - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.0%
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
$14,021
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.4 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 52.2%
African American 17.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.5%
Two or More 8.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 52.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.9, Patrick Hamilton Elementary is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dowagiac Union School District, which includes Patrick Hamilton Elementary.
$14,021
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.7%
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 Patrick Hamilton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dowagiac Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Justus Gage Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kincheloe Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Patrick Hamilton Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary 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 (~224 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Patrick Hamilton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Patrick Hamilton Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dowagiac Union 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 Patrick Hamilton Elementary
How many students attend Patrick Hamilton Elementary?
Patrick Hamilton Elementary has 224 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dowagiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Patrick Hamilton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Patrick Hamilton Elementary is 16:1, which is 9% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 2% 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 Patrick Hamilton Elementary?
86.9% of students at Patrick Hamilton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Patrick Hamilton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Patrick Hamilton Elementary is White at 52.2% of enrollment, in Dowagiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Patrick Hamilton Elementary?
Patrick Hamilton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower 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 Patrick Hamilton Elementary rank among public schools in Dowagiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Patrick Hamilton Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, 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 Dowagiac on the city page.
Is Patrick Hamilton Elementary a good school?
Patrick Hamilton Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. 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 Dowagiac Union School District?
Besides Patrick Hamilton Elementary, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students), Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), and Justus Gage Elementary School (262 students). See the Dowagiac Union 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.