Enrollment
447
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saginaw, MI
Shields Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shields Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263341000263
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shields Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #13 of 27
- schools in Saginaw · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 37.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Shields Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shields Elementary School ranks #13 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI.
School address
District: Swan Valley School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263341000263 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shields Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shields Elementary School
Shields Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Saginaw, Michigan, enrolling 447 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 447 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 672 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #312.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Swan Valley School District spends $10,390 per pupil, 23% below the Michigan average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Saginaw's public schools, it stands alongside Arthur Eddy Academy (232 students): Shields Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 12.2:1).
Swan Valley School District also operates Swan Valley High School (504 students) and Swan Valley Middle School (408 students) alongside Shields 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 Shields Elementary School compares
Shields 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.7% | ▼ 31% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 447 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
447
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Michigan - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$10,390
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 447 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 77.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 2.0%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.3, Shields Elementary School is about as mixed as the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Swan Valley School District, which includes Shields Elementary School.
$10,390
Per student
-23%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 68.6%
Federal 6.4%
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 Shields Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan Valley High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Swan Valley Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert B Havens Elem School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Swan Valley Adult and Alternative Education | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shields Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Saginaw
2 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 (~447 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shields Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shields Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Swan Valley 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 Shields Elementary School
How many students attend Shields Elementary School?
Shields Elementary School has 447 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saginaw, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shields Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shields Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 6% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shields Elementary School?
37.7% of students at Shields Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shields Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shields Elementary School is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Saginaw, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shields Elementary School?
Shields Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Shields Elementary School rank among schools in Saginaw?
By Resource Investment Index, Shields Elementary School ranks #13 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Saginaw on the city page.
Is Shields Elementary School a good school?
Shields Elementary School earns 28/100 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 Swan Valley School District?
Besides Shields Elementary School, Swan Valley School District also operates Swan Valley High School (504 students), Swan Valley Middle School (408 students), and Robert B Havens Elem School (390 students). See the Swan Valley 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.