Enrollment
526
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Howell, MI
Southwest Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261872005554
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Howell · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 33.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Howell, MI.
School address
District: Howell Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261872005554 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Elementary School
Southwest Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Howell, Michigan, enrolling 526 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 526 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 607 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #433, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 526 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Howell's public schools, it stands alongside Hartland Virtual Academy (22 students): Southwest Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students) and Parker Middle School (1,011 students) alongside Southwest 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 Southwest Elementary School compares
Southwest 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 14% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.6% | ▼ 38% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 526 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
526
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 32% in Michigan - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.8%
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
$11,672
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 526 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 80.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Two or More 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.5, Southwest Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howell Public Schools, which includes Southwest Elementary School.
$11,672
Per student
-14%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.1%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.1%
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 Southwest Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highlander Way Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Three Fires Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Voyager Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar other schools in Howell
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 (~526 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Howell 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 Southwest Elementary School
How many students attend Southwest Elementary School?
Southwest Elementary School has 526 students enrolled. It is a public school in Howell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School is 15:1, which is 14% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% 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 Southwest Elementary School?
33.6% of students at Southwest Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Elementary School is White at 80.6% of enrollment, in Howell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Elementary School?
Southwest 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 Southwest Elementary School rank among schools in Howell?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Howell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Howell on the city page.
Is Southwest Elementary School a good school?
Southwest Elementary School earns 24/100 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 Howell Public Schools?
Besides Southwest Elementary School, Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students), Parker Middle School (1,011 students), and Highlander Way Middle School (789 students). See the Howell 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.