Enrollment
555
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sparta, MI
Ridgeview Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ridgeview Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263237007686
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgeview Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Sparta · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 42.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgeview Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeview Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sparta, MI.
School address
District: Sparta Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263237007686 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgeview Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgeview Elementary School
Ridgeview Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sparta, Michigan, enrolling 555 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 555 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 632 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #132.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 555 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Sparta Area Schools also operates Sparta Senior High School (778 students) and Appleview Elementary School (517 students) alongside Ridgeview 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 Ridgeview Elementary School compares
Ridgeview 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.0% | ▼ 23% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 36% in Michigan - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,960
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 555 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 79.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.0, Ridgeview Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sparta Area Schools, which includes Ridgeview Elementary School.
$12,960
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 56.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Ridgeview Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Appleview Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sparta Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgeview Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~555 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgeview Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ridgeview Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sparta Area 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 Ridgeview Elementary School
How many students attend Ridgeview Elementary School?
Ridgeview Elementary School has 555 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sparta, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgeview Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgeview Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 12% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ridgeview Elementary School?
42.0% of students at Ridgeview Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgeview Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ridgeview Elementary School is White at 79.8% of enrollment, in Sparta, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgeview Elementary School?
Ridgeview Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Ridgeview Elementary School rank among public schools in Sparta?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeview Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sparta, 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 Sparta on the city page.
Is Ridgeview Elementary School a good school?
Ridgeview Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Sparta Area Schools?
Besides Ridgeview Elementary School, Sparta Area Schools also operates Sparta Senior High School (778 students), Appleview Elementary School (517 students), and Sparta Middle School (503 students). See the Sparta Area 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.