Enrollment
374
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dearborn Heights, MI
Polk Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Polk Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261161004619
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polk Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools.
- #7 of 9
- schools in Dearborn Heights · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 78.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Polk Elementary School has class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polk Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI.
School address
District: Dearborn Heights School District #7 · Michigan
NCES ID 261161004619 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polk Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polk Elementary School
Polk Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, enrolling 374 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 374 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 481 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #346, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 374 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Dearborn Heights's public schools, it stands alongside Global Heights Academy (274 students): Polk Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.7:1 vs 21.1:1).
Dearborn Heights School District #7 also operates Annapolis High School (682 students) and Oakley W Best Middle School (557 students) alongside Polk 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 Polk Elementary School compares
Polk 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 | 18.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.3% | ▲ 44% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 374 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
374
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 70% in Michigan - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.3%
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
$12,112
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 374 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 65.2%
African American 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Polk Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dearborn Heights School District #7, which includes Polk Elementary School.
$12,112
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.1%
State 71.1%
Federal 14.8%
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 Polk Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annapolis High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Oakley W Best Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bedford School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pardee School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dearborn Heights Virtual Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polk Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 42
- Students per teacher
- 2.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Dearborn Heights
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 (~374 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polk Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Polk Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dearborn Heights School District #7'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 Polk Elementary School
How many students attend Polk Elementary School?
Polk Elementary School has 374 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dearborn Heights, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polk Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polk Elementary School is 18.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Polk Elementary School?
78.3% of students at Polk Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polk Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Polk Elementary School is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Dearborn Heights, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polk Elementary School?
Polk Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Polk Elementary School rank among schools in Dearborn Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Polk Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dearborn Heights on the city page.
Is Polk Elementary School a good school?
Polk Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Dearborn Heights School District #7?
Besides Polk Elementary School, Dearborn Heights School District #7 also operates Annapolis High School (682 students), Oakley W Best Middle School (557 students), and Bedford School (389 students). See the Dearborn Heights School District #7 district page for the complete list.
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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.