Enrollment
455
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School
Federal NCES profile for Thirkell Elementarymiddle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260110304845
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #39 of 75
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 89.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thirkell Elementarymiddle School ranks #39 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110304845 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thirkell Elementarymiddle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thirkell Elementarymiddle School
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 455 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.8% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 455 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 346 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #180.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 94.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 144 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 455 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Thirkell Elementarymiddle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 20.4:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Thirkell Elementarymiddle 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 Thirkell Elementarymiddle School compares
Thirkell Elementarymiddle 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.8% | ▲ 65% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 455 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
455
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 39% in Michigan - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
94.9%
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
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 136 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.6 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
African American 97.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Two or More 0.9%
White 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 97.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.1, Thirkell Elementarymiddle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Thirkell Elementarymiddle School.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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 Thirkell Elementarymiddle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thirkell Elementarymiddle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~455 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thirkell Elementarymiddle School's federal record.
- Compare Thirkell Elementarymiddle School against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community 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 Thirkell Elementarymiddle School
How many students attend Thirkell Elementarymiddle School?
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School has 455 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thirkell Elementarymiddle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thirkell Elementarymiddle School is 15.7:1, which is 10% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 0% 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 Thirkell Elementarymiddle School?
89.8% of students at Thirkell Elementarymiddle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thirkell Elementarymiddle School?
The largest demographic group at Thirkell Elementarymiddle School is African American at 97.4% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thirkell Elementarymiddle School?
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Thirkell Elementarymiddle School rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Thirkell Elementarymiddle School ranks #39 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Thirkell Elementarymiddle School a good school?
Thirkell Elementarymiddle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Thirkell Elementarymiddle School, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community 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.