Enrollment
390
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Shepherd, MI
Shepherd Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Shepherd Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 263138007436
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shepherd Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Shepherd · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17:1
- students per teacher
- 45.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Shepherd Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Shepherd, MI.
School address
District: Shepherd Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263138007436 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shepherd Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shepherd Middle School
Shepherd Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Shepherd, Michigan, enrolling 390 students.
At 17:1, 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.
With 390 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 746 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #597, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Shepherd Public Schools also operates Shepherd Elementary School (544 students) and Shepherd High School (519 students) alongside Shepherd 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 Shepherd Middle School compares
Shepherd 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 | 17:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.8% | ▼ 16% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
390
Bigger than 46% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in Michigan - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.3%
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
$11,184
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 84.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.9%
African American 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Two or More 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.1, Shepherd Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shepherd Public Schools, which includes Shepherd Middle School.
$11,184
Per student
-17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 67.8%
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 Shepherd Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shepherd High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winn Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Odyssey Middlehigh School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shepherd Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 32:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 69
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle 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 (~390 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shepherd Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Shepherd Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Shepherd Public 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 Shepherd Middle School
How many students attend Shepherd Middle School?
Shepherd Middle School has 390 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Shepherd, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Middle School is 17:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Shepherd Middle School?
45.8% of students at Shepherd Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shepherd Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Shepherd Middle School is White at 84.4% of enrollment, in Shepherd, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shepherd Middle School?
Shepherd Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Shepherd Middle School rank among public schools in Shepherd?
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Shepherd, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Shepherd on the city page.
Is Shepherd Middle School a good school?
Shepherd Middle School earns 21/100 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 Shepherd Public Schools?
Besides Shepherd Middle School, Shepherd Public Schools also operates Shepherd Elementary School (544 students), Shepherd High School (519 students), and Winn Elementary School (224 students). See the Shepherd Public 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.