Enrollment
828
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Plainwell, MI
Plainwell High School
Federal NCES profile for Plainwell High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262853006402
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plainwell High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Plainwell · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Plainwell High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plainwell High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Plainwell, MI.
School address
District: Plainwell Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262853006402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plainwell High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plainwell High School
Plainwell High School is a large high school in Plainwell, Michigan, enrolling 828 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 92% of state schools at 828 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 325 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #184.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 414 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 270 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 828 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell Middle School (569 students) and Gilkey Elementary School (439 students) alongside Plainwell High 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 Plainwell High School compares
Plainwell High 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 47% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 828 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
828
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 78% in Michigan - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$11,416
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 414 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
148
in-school suspensions + 122 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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 84.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 2.5%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.2, Plainwell High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainwell Community Schools, which includes Plainwell High School.
$11,416
Per student
-15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 62.4%
Federal 10.4%
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 Plainwell High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gilkey Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Starr Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooper Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plainwell High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar high 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 (~828 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plainwell High School's federal record.
- Compare Plainwell High School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainwell 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 Plainwell High School
How many students attend Plainwell High School?
Plainwell High School has 828 students enrolled. It is a high school in Plainwell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plainwell High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Plainwell High School is 19.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plainwell High School?
28.6% of students at Plainwell High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plainwell High School?
The largest demographic group at Plainwell High School is White at 84.9% of enrollment, in Plainwell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plainwell High School?
Plainwell High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Plainwell High School rank among public schools in Plainwell?
By Resource Investment Index, Plainwell High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Plainwell, 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 Plainwell on the city page.
Is Plainwell High School a good school?
Plainwell High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Plainwell Community Schools?
Besides Plainwell High School, Plainwell Community Schools also operates Plainwell Middle School (569 students), Gilkey Elementary School (439 students), and Starr Elementary School (410 students). See the Plainwell 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.