Enrollment
286
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Traverse City, MI
Silver Lake Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Silver Lake Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263387007469
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Silver Lake Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #15 of 16
- schools in Traverse City · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 43.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Silver Lake Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Silver Lake Elementary School ranks #15 of 16 schools in Traverse City, MI.
School address
District: Traverse City Area Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263387007469 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Silver Lake Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Silver Lake Elementary School
Silver Lake Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Traverse City, Michigan, enrolling 286 students.
At 15.9:1, 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 43.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 286 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 545 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #277.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Traverse City's public schools, it stands alongside The Greenspire School (93 students): Silver Lake Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 8.5:1).
Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates West Senior High (1,384 students) and Central High School (1,326 students) alongside Silver Lake 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 Silver Lake Elementary School compares
Silver Lake 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.1% | ▼ 21% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 41% in Michigan - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$12,932
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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 92.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 92.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.9, Silver Lake Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Traverse City Area Public Schools, which includes Silver Lake Elementary School.
$12,932
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 40.7%
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 Silver Lake Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Grade School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Silver Lake Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,326
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Traverse City
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 (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Silver Lake Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Silver Lake Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Traverse City Area 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 Silver Lake Elementary School
How many students attend Silver Lake Elementary School?
Silver Lake Elementary School has 286 students enrolled. It is a public school in Traverse City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Silver Lake Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Silver Lake Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 9% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% 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 Silver Lake Elementary School?
43.1% of students at Silver Lake Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Silver Lake Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Silver Lake Elementary School is White at 92.7% of enrollment, in Traverse City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Silver Lake Elementary School?
Silver Lake Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Silver Lake Elementary School rank among schools in Traverse City?
By Resource Investment Index, Silver Lake Elementary School ranks #15 of 16 schools in Traverse City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Traverse City on the city page.
Is Silver Lake Elementary School a good school?
Silver Lake 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 Traverse City Area Public Schools?
Besides Silver Lake Elementary School, Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates West Senior High (1,384 students), Central High School (1,326 students), and West Middle School (1,081 students). See the Traverse City Area 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.