Enrollment
327
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Southgate, MI
Shelters Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shelters Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263234006795
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelters Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Southgate · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.2:1
- students per teacher
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Shelters Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelters Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Southgate, MI.
School address
District: Southgate Community School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263234006795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelters Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelters Elementary School
Shelters Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Southgate, Michigan, enrolling 327 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.6% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 327 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 644 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #311.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Southgate's public schools, it stands alongside Beacon Day Treatment Center (115 students): Shelters Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.2:1 vs 5.5:1).
Southgate Community School District also operates Southgate Anderson High School (1,052 students) and Davidson Middle School (663 students) alongside Shelters 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 Shelters Elementary School compares
Shelters 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▲ 4% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 327 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
327
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Michigan - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$15,761
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 53.5%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
African American 17.1%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, Shelters Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southgate Community School District, which includes Shelters Elementary School.
$15,761
Per student
+17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 54.1%
Federal 10.7%
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 Shelters Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southgate Anderson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davidson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Asher School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Allen Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grogan Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelters Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 46.2:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Southgate
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~327 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelters Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shelters Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Southgate Community 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 Shelters Elementary School
How many students attend Shelters Elementary School?
Shelters Elementary School has 327 students enrolled. It is a public school in Southgate, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelters Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelters Elementary School is 18.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shelters Elementary School?
56.6% of students at Shelters Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelters Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shelters Elementary School is White at 53.5% of enrollment, in Southgate, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelters Elementary School?
Shelters 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 Shelters Elementary School rank among schools in Southgate?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelters Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Southgate, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Southgate on the city page.
Is Shelters Elementary School a good school?
Shelters Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Southgate Community School District?
Besides Shelters Elementary School, Southgate Community School District also operates Southgate Anderson High School (1,052 students), Davidson Middle School (663 students), and Asher School (462 students). See the Southgate Community 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.