Enrollment
510
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Niles, MI
Ring Lardner Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ring Lardner Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262556006208
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ring Lardner Middle School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools.
- #15 of 15
- public schools in Niles · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 62.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ring Lardner Middle School has class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ring Lardner Middle School ranks #15 of 15 public schools in Niles, MI.
School address
District: Niles Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262556006208 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ring Lardner Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ring Lardner Middle School
Ring Lardner Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Niles, Michigan, enrolling 510 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 510 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 557 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #543, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 510 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 150 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 510 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students) and Howardellis Elementary School (529 students) alongside Ring Lardner 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 Ring Lardner Middle School compares
Ring Lardner 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.3% | ▲ 15% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 510 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Michigan - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$11,915
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 510 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 113 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 65.3%
Two or More 11.6%
African American 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, Ring Lardner Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Community Schools, which includes Ring Lardner Middle School.
$11,915
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 69.2%
Federal 11.2%
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 Ring Lardner Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Howardellis Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ballard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastside Connections School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Niles Cedar Lane | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ring Lardner Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~510 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ring Lardner Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ring Lardner Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles Community 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 Ring Lardner Middle School
How many students attend Ring Lardner Middle School?
Ring Lardner Middle School has 510 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Niles, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ring Lardner Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ring Lardner Middle School is 19.6:1, which is 12% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ring Lardner Middle School?
62.3% of students at Ring Lardner Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ring Lardner Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ring Lardner Middle School is White at 65.3% of enrollment, in Niles, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ring Lardner Middle School?
Ring Lardner Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (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 Ring Lardner Middle School rank among public schools in Niles?
By Resource Investment Index, Ring Lardner Middle School ranks #15 of 15 public schools in Niles, 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 Niles on the city page.
Is Ring Lardner Middle School a good school?
Ring Lardner Middle School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Niles Community Schools?
Besides Ring Lardner Middle School, Niles Community Schools also operates Niles Senior High School (828 students), Howardellis Elementary School (529 students), and Ballard Elementary School (516 students). See the Niles Community 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.