Enrollment
471
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Battle Creek, MI
Pennfield Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Pennfield Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262781006359
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pennfield Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Battle Creek · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.4:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 49.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pennfield Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pennfield Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Battle Creek, MI.
School address
District: Pennfield Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262781006359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pennfield Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pennfield Middle School
Pennfield Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Battle Creek, Michigan, enrolling 471 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.4:1 is larger than about 90% of Michigan schools and 28% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.3% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 471 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 713 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #436.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 236 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Battle Creek's middle schools, it stands alongside West Michigan Virtual Battle Creek Ms (96 students): Pennfield Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.4:1 vs 48:1).
Pennfield Schools also operates Pennfield Senior High School (748 students) and Pennfield Dunlap Elementary (273 students) alongside Pennfield Middle 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 Pennfield Middle School compares
Pennfield Middle 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 28% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.3% | ▼ 9% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 90% in Michigan - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
41.8%
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
$12,282
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 236 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 78.6%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
African American 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.7, Pennfield Middle School is about as mixed as the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pennfield Schools, which includes Pennfield Middle School.
$12,282
Per student
-9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 71.4%
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 Pennfield Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennfield Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pennfield Dunlap Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pennfield Purdy School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Pennfield Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pennfield Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 197
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar middle schools in Battle Creek
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~471 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pennfield Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Pennfield Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pennfield 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 Pennfield Middle School
How many students attend Pennfield Middle School?
Pennfield Middle School has 471 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pennfield Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pennfield Middle School is 22.4:1, which is 28% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pennfield Middle School?
49.3% of students at Pennfield Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pennfield Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Pennfield Middle School is White at 78.6% of enrollment, in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pennfield Middle School?
Pennfield Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Pennfield Middle School rank among middle schools in Battle Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Pennfield Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Battle Creek, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Battle Creek on the city page.
Is Pennfield Middle School a good school?
Pennfield Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Pennfield Schools?
Besides Pennfield Middle School, Pennfield Schools also operates Pennfield Senior High School (748 students), Pennfield Dunlap Elementary (273 students), and Pennfield Purdy School (197 students). See the Pennfield 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.