Enrollment
345
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fraser, MI
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261482005181
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Michigan schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Fraser · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.3:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 47.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School has class sizes larger than 82% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Fraser, MI.
School address
District: Fraser Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261482005181 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Fraser, Michigan, enrolling 345 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.8% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 345 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 705 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #625, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Fraser Public Schools also operates Fraser High School (1,431 students) and Richards Middle School (661 students) alongside Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School compares
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem 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 | 20.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.8% | ▼ 12% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
345
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Michigan - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$13,667
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 + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 75.4%
African American 11.3%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 75.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.1, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fraser Public Schools, which includes Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School.
$13,667
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 60.2%
Federal 10.8%
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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraser High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richards Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Salk Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Elem School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 391
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary 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 (~345 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Fraser 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School
How many students attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School has 345 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fraser, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School is 20.3:1, which is 16% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School?
47.8% of students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School is White at 75.4% of enrollment, in Fraser, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School rank among public schools in Fraser?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Fraser, 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 Fraser on the city page.
Is Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School a good school?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Fraser Public Schools?
Besides Ralph Waldo Emerson Elem School, Fraser Public Schools also operates Fraser High School (1,431 students), Richards Middle School (661 students), and Salk Elementary School (455 students). See the Fraser 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.