Enrollment
416
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Oak Park, MI
Pepper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pepper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262619006272
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pepper Elementary School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Oak Park · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 80.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pepper Elementary School has class sizes larger than 79% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Oak Park, MI.
School address
District: Oak Park School District of the City of · Michigan
NCES ID 262619006272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pepper Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pepper Elementary School
Pepper Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Oak Park, Michigan, enrolling 416 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 416 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 453 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #357, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oak Park's public schools, it stands alongside Nova Discipline Academy (108 students): Pepper Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 13.5:1).
Oak Park School District of the City of also operates Oak Park High School (798 students) and Oak Park Preparatory Academy (707 students) alongside Pepper Elementary 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 Pepper Elementary School compares
Pepper Elementary 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.4% | ▲ 48% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Michigan - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
69.2%
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
$15,569
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 + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
African American 93.3%
Two or More 2.4%
White 1.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 93.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.8, Pepper Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oak Park School District of the City of, which includes Pepper Elementary School.
$15,569
Per student
+15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 63.5%
Federal 15.1%
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 Pepper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Park Preparatory Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Key Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Park Virtual Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Einstein Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pepper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 63.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools in Oak Park
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 (~416 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pepper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pepper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Oak Park School District of the City of'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 Pepper Elementary School
How many students attend Pepper Elementary School?
Pepper Elementary School has 416 students enrolled. It is a public school in Oak Park, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pepper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pepper Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pepper Elementary School?
80.4% of students at Pepper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pepper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pepper Elementary School is African American at 93.3% of enrollment, in Oak Park, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pepper Elementary School?
Pepper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Pepper Elementary School rank among schools in Oak Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Oak Park, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Oak Park on the city page.
Is Pepper Elementary School a good school?
Pepper Elementary School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Oak Park School District of the City of?
Besides Pepper Elementary School, Oak Park School District of the City of also operates Oak Park High School (798 students), Oak Park Preparatory Academy (707 students), and Key Elementary School (516 students). See the Oak Park School District of the City of 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.