Enrollment
580
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Branch, MI
Surline Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Surline Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 263585007184
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Surline Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in West Branch · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 60.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Surline Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Surline Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in West Branch, MI.
School address
District: West Branch-Rose City Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263585007184 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Surline Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Surline Middle School
Surline Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in West Branch, Michigan, enrolling 580 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.3% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 580 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.
Against 500 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #318.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 580 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
West Branch-Rose City Area Schools also operates Ogemaw Heights High School (592 students) and Surline Elementary School (569 students) alongside Surline Middle 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 Surline Middle School compares
Surline Middle 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.3% | ▲ 11% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 580 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
580
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Michigan - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.0%
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
$13,429
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 580 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 93.6%
Two or More 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, Surline Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Branch-Rose City Area Schools, which includes Surline Middle School.
$13,429
Per student
-1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 47.3%
Federal 18.6%
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 Surline Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogemaw Heights High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surline Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rose City School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Surline Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 103
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~580 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Surline Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Surline Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- West Branch-Rose City Area 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 Surline Middle School
How many students attend Surline Middle School?
Surline Middle School has 580 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Branch, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Surline Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Surline Middle School is 18.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Surline Middle School?
60.3% of students at Surline Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Surline Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Surline Middle School is White at 93.6% of enrollment, in West Branch, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Surline Middle School?
Surline Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Surline Middle School rank among public schools in West Branch?
By Resource Investment Index, Surline Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in West Branch, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Branch on the city page.
Is Surline Middle School a good school?
Surline Middle School earns 21/100 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 West Branch-Rose City Area Schools?
Besides Surline Middle School, West Branch-Rose City Area Schools also operates Ogemaw Heights High School (592 students), Surline Elementary School (569 students), and Rose City School (103 students). See the West Branch-Rose City Area 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.