Enrollment
733
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waterford, MI
Pierce Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Pierce Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 263531007135
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pierce Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools.
- #6 of 14
- public schools in Waterford · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 50.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pierce Middle School has class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Middle School ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Waterford, MI.
School address
District: Waterford School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263531007135 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pierce Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pierce Middle School
Pierce Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Waterford, Michigan, enrolling 733 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.7% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 733 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 371 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #109.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 211 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 733 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students) and Waterford Kettering High School (909 students) alongside Pierce 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 Pierce Middle School compares
Pierce 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 | 20.4:1 | ▲ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.7% | ▼ 7% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 733 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
733
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Michigan - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.2%
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
$15,819
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
118
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.8 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 68.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
African American 9.5%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 68.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Pierce Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford School District, which includes Pierce Middle School.
$15,819
Per student
+17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 52.2%
Federal 9.1%
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 Pierce Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford Mott High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waterford Kettering High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mason Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grayson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Schoolcraft Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pierce Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- 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 (~733 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pierce Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Pierce Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterford 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 Pierce Middle School
How many students attend Pierce Middle School?
Pierce Middle School has 733 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waterford, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School is 20.4:1, which is 17% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pierce Middle School?
50.7% of students at Pierce Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pierce Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Pierce Middle School is White at 68.9% of enrollment, in Waterford, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pierce Middle School?
Pierce Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Pierce Middle School rank among public schools in Waterford?
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Middle School ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Waterford, 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 Waterford on the city page.
Is Pierce Middle School a good school?
Pierce Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Waterford School District?
Besides Pierce Middle School, Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students), Waterford Kettering High School (909 students), and Mason Middle School (731 students). See the Waterford 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.