Enrollment
322
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260001303871
Sandy Knoll School — Marquette, MI
Federal NCES profile for Sandy Knoll School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 29
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: Marquette Area 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)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandy Knoll 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
Sandy Knoll School reports 322 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% 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: 33.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 39% below the Michigan average and 36% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 322 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Marquette Area Public Schools spends $13,097 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.5% from local sources (property taxes), 58.1% from the state, and 9.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Sandy Knoll 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 29% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.2% | ▼ 39% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 44% | — | — |
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
33.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 39% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
— 29% 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
28.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,097
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 322 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 322 Top 44% in Michigan — larger than 56% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 12.9:1 -29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 33.2% -39% vs state
NCES ID 260001303871
Student demographics
White 84.5%
Two or More 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Asian 2.2%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 84.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 322:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marquette Area Public Schools, which includes Sandy Knoll School.
$13,097
Per student
-17%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.5%
State 58.1%
Federal 9.5%
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
- 940
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Enrollment
- 696
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 289
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
Similar other schools in Marquette
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Marquette Senior High School
Standard public school
940 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Superior Hills Elementary School
Standard public school
405 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
North Star Montessori Academy
Standard public school
145 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Marquettealger Administrative Unit
Standard public school
38 students 8:1 students per teacher
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 Sandy Knoll School
How many students attend Sandy Knoll School?
Sandy Knoll School has 322 students enrolled. It is a other school in MARQUETTE, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandy Knoll School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandy Knoll School is 12.9:1, which is 29% 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 Sandy Knoll School?
33.2% of students at Sandy Knoll School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandy Knoll School?
The largest demographic group at Sandy Knoll School is White at 84.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in MARQUETTE, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandy Knoll School?
Sandy Knoll School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.