Enrollment
498
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sault Sainte Marie, MI
Sault Area Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sault Area Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263099006724
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sault Area Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Sault Sainte Marie · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 45.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sault Area Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sault Area Middle School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Sault Sainte Marie, MI.
School address
District: Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263099006724 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sault Area Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sault Area Middle School
Sault Area Middle School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, enrolling 498 students.
At 16.1:1, 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 45.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 498 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 700 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #206.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (34%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 108 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 498 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools also operates Sault Area High School (688 students) and Lincoln School (342 students) alongside Sault Area 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 Sault Area Middle School compares
Sault Area 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.8% | ▼ 16% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 498 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
498
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in Michigan - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.6%
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
$11,391
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 61.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 34.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
African American 1.2%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Sault Area Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools, which includes Sault Area Middle School.
$11,391
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.2%
State 55.4%
Federal 16.4%
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 Sault Area Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Area High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Malcolm High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sault Area Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 342
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 195
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 71
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~498 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sault Area Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sault Area Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Area Middle School
How many students attend Sault Area Middle School?
Sault Area Middle School has 498 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sault Sainte Marie, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sault Area Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sault Area Middle School is 16.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 3% 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 Sault Area Middle School?
45.8% of students at Sault Area Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sault Area Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sault Area Middle School is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Sault Sainte Marie, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sault Area Middle School?
Sault Area Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Sault Area Middle School rank among schools in Sault Sainte Marie?
By Resource Investment Index, Sault Area Middle School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Sault Sainte Marie, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sault Sainte Marie on the city page.
Is Sault Area Middle School a good school?
Sault Area Middle School earns 29/100 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 Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools?
Besides Sault Area Middle School, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools also operates Sault Area High School (688 students), Lincoln School (342 students), and Washington Elementary School (195 students). See the Sault Ste. Marie 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.