Enrollment
717
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Portage, MI
Portage West Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Portage West Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262895006496
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portage West Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Portage · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 18.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Portage West Middle School has class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portage West Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Portage, MI.
School address
District: Portage Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262895006496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portage West Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portage West Middle School
Portage West Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Portage, Michigan, enrolling 717 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.7:1 is larger than about 87% of Michigan schools and 24% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.0% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 717 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 372 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #196.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Asian (11%) (diversity index 55/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students) and Portage Northern High School (1,194 students) alongside Portage West 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 Portage West Middle School compares
Portage West 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.0% | ▼ 67% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 717 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
717
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 87% in Michigan - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$12,499
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 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 64.9%
Asian 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 8.5%
African American 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Portage West Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portage Public Schools, which includes Portage West Middle School.
$12,499
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 57.3%
Federal 6.3%
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 Portage West Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage Northern High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Portage Central Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Portage North Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moorsbridge Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portage West Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,194
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~717 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portage West Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Portage West Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Portage Public 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 Portage West Middle School
How many students attend Portage West Middle School?
Portage West Middle School has 717 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Portage, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portage West Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Portage West Middle School is 21.7:1, which is 24% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portage West Middle School?
18.0% of students at Portage West Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portage West Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Portage West Middle School is White at 64.9% of enrollment, in Portage, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portage West Middle School?
Portage West Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Portage West Middle School rank among middle schools in Portage?
By Resource Investment Index, Portage West Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Portage, 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 Portage on the city page.
Is Portage West Middle School a good school?
Portage West Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Portage Public Schools?
Besides Portage West Middle School, Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students), Portage Northern High School (1,194 students), and Portage Central Middle School (719 students). See the Portage Public 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.