Enrollment
541
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 263390006954
Richard C Hedke Elem School — Trenton, MI
Federal NCES profile for Richard C Hedke Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 48/100.
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 64
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Trenton Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richard C Hedke Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Richard C Hedke Elem School reports 541 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 39.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 19% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 33.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 38% below the Michigan average and 36% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Trenton Public Schools spends $19,981 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 36.6% from local sources (property taxes), 55.5% from the state, and 7.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Richard C Hedke Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 30% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.4% | ▼ 38% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 79% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
33.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 38% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
— 30% below state mean
Top 14% in Michigan — lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
14.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$19,981
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 541 Top 79% in Michigan — larger than 21% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 12.8:1 -30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 33.4% -38% vs state
NCES ID 263390006954
Student demographics
White 77.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.9%
African American 5.2%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 77.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.4%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Trenton Public Schools, which includes Richard C Hedke Elem School.
$19,981
Per student
+26%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 36.6%
State 55.5%
Federal 7.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Enrollment
- 617
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
Similar other schools in Trenton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Richard C Hedke Elem School
How many students attend Richard C Hedke Elem School?
Richard C Hedke Elem School has 541 students enrolled. It is a other school in TRENTON, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richard C Hedke Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Richard C Hedke Elem School is 12.8:1, which is 30% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richard C Hedke Elem School?
33.4% of students at Richard C Hedke Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richard C Hedke Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Richard C Hedke Elem School is White at 77.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in TRENTON, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richard C Hedke Elem School?
Richard C Hedke Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.