Enrollment
291
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterford, MI
Riverside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263531007138
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Waterford · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Waterford, MI.
School address
District: Waterford School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263531007138 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Elementary School
Riverside Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waterford, Michigan, enrolling 291 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 291 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 514 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #231.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Waterford's public schools, it stands alongside Oakside Prep Academy (1,424 students): Riverside Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 20.9:1).
Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students) and Waterford Kettering High School (909 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Elementary School compares
Riverside 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 25% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 21% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 291 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
291
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 18% in Michigan - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.9%
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
$15,819
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.6 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 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 2.1%
Largest group: White at 61.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Riverside Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford School District, which includes Riverside Elementary School.
$15,819
Per student
+17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 52.2%
Federal 9.1%
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 Riverside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford Mott High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waterford Kettering High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pierce Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mason Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grayson Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Waterford
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Oakside Prep Academy
Standard public school
1,424 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Virtual Learning Academy Consortium
Standard public school
298 students 37.3:1 students per teacher
Waterford Montessori Academy
Standard public school
213 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Kingsley Montgomery School
Special-education school
45 students 5:1 students per teacher
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 (~291 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterford School District'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 Riverside Elementary School
How many students attend Riverside Elementary School?
Riverside Elementary School has 291 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterford, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary School is 13.2:1, which is 25% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 16% 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 Riverside Elementary School?
65.6% of students at Riverside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Elementary School is White at 61.2% of enrollment, in Waterford, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Elementary School?
Riverside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Riverside Elementary School rank among schools in Waterford?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Waterford, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waterford on the city page.
Is Riverside Elementary School a good school?
Riverside Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Waterford School District?
Besides Riverside Elementary School, Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students), Waterford Kettering High School (909 students), and Pierce Middle School (733 students). See the Waterford School District 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.