Enrollment
166
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton Harbor, MI
Sister Lakes Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sister Lakes Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261215004923
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sister Lakes Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.8:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 71.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sister Lakes Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sister Lakes Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004923 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sister Lakes Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sister Lakes Elementary School
Sister Lakes Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 166 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 166 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #164, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 415 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students) and Dowagiac Middle School (393 students) alongside Sister Lakes 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 Sister Lakes Elementary School compares
Sister Lakes 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 21% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.3% | ▲ 31% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
166
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 22% in Michigan - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.0%
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
$14,021
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
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 56.6%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
Two or More 7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Sister Lakes Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dowagiac Union School District, which includes Sister Lakes Elementary School.
$14,021
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.7%
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 Sister Lakes Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dowagiac Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Justus Gage Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patrick Hamilton Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kincheloe Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sister Lakes Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary 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 (~166 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sister Lakes Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sister Lakes Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dowagiac Union 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 Sister Lakes Elementary School
How many students attend Sister Lakes Elementary School?
Sister Lakes Elementary School has 166 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sister Lakes Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sister Lakes Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 21% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 12% lower 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 Sister Lakes Elementary School?
71.3% of students at Sister Lakes Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sister Lakes Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sister Lakes Elementary School is White at 56.6% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sister Lakes Elementary School?
Sister Lakes Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Sister Lakes Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Sister Lakes Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Benton Harbor, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Sister Lakes Elementary School a good school?
Sister Lakes Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Michigan schools. 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 Dowagiac Union School District?
Besides Sister Lakes Elementary School, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students), Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), and Justus Gage Elementary School (262 students). See the Dowagiac Union 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.