Enrollment
256
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wayland, MI
Rj Steeby School
Federal NCES profile for Rj Steeby School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 263555007168
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rj Steeby School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Wayland · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 47.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rj Steeby School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rj Steeby School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Wayland, MI.
School address
District: Wayland Union Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263555007168 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rj Steeby School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rj Steeby School
Rj Steeby School is a mid-sized elementary school in Wayland, Michigan, enrolling 256 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 256 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 483 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #184.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Wayland Union Schools also operates Wayland High School (800 students) and Wayland Union Middle School (611 students) alongside Rj Steeby 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 Rj Steeby School compares
Rj Steeby 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 | 17.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.1% | ▼ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in Michigan - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.7%
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
$12,682
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 83.6%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
African American 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: White at 83.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Rj Steeby School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayland Union Schools, which includes Rj Steeby School.
$12,682
Per student
-6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.3%
State 57.5%
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 Rj Steeby School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayland High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wayland Union Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pine Street Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dorr School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bessie B Baker School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rj Steeby School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 311
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~256 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rj Steeby School's federal record.
- Compare Rj Steeby School against another school. Compare schools
- Wayland Union 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 Rj Steeby School
How many students attend Rj Steeby School?
Rj Steeby School has 256 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wayland, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rj Steeby School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rj Steeby School is 17.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 9% higher 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 Rj Steeby School?
47.1% of students at Rj Steeby School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rj Steeby School?
The largest demographic group at Rj Steeby School is White at 83.6% of enrollment, in Wayland, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rj Steeby School?
Rj Steeby School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Rj Steeby School rank among elementary schools in Wayland?
By Resource Investment Index, Rj Steeby School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Wayland, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Wayland on the city page.
Is Rj Steeby School a good school?
Rj Steeby School earns 31/100 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 Wayland Union Schools?
Besides Rj Steeby School, Wayland Union Schools also operates Wayland High School (800 students), Wayland Union Middle School (611 students), and Pine Street Elementary (413 students). See the Wayland Union 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.