Enrollment
351
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Battle Creek, MI
Sonoma Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sonoma Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261773005438
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sonoma Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 13
- elementary schools in Battle Creek · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 41.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sonoma Elementary has class sizes smaller than 72% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Battle Creek, MI.
School address
District: Harper Creek Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261773005438 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sonoma Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sonoma Elementary
Sonoma Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Battle Creek, Michigan, enrolling 351 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 351 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 679 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #37, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
17.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Harper Creek Community Schools also operates Harper Creek Middle School (896 students) and Harper Creek High School (823 students) alongside Sonoma Elementary.
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 Sonoma Elementary compares
Sonoma Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.8% | ▼ 23% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 351 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
351
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 28% in Michigan - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,137
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
7
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 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 82.3%
Two or More 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 2.3%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.1, Sonoma Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harper Creek Community Schools, which includes Sonoma Elementary.
$13,137
Per student
-3%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.5%
State 58.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Sonoma Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Creek Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harper Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wattles Park Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beadle Lake Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sonoma Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~351 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sonoma Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sonoma Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harper Creek Community 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 Sonoma Elementary
How many students attend Sonoma Elementary?
Sonoma Elementary has 351 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 7% 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 Sonoma Elementary?
41.8% of students at Sonoma Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sonoma Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sonoma Elementary is White at 82.3% of enrollment, in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sonoma Elementary?
Sonoma Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Sonoma Elementary rank among elementary schools in Battle Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Battle Creek, 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 Battle Creek on the city page.
Is Sonoma Elementary a good school?
Sonoma Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of 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 Harper Creek Community Schools?
Besides Sonoma Elementary, Harper Creek Community Schools also operates Harper Creek Middle School (896 students), Harper Creek High School (823 students), and Wattles Park Elementary School (375 students). See the Harper Creek Community 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.