Enrollment
292
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Manistee, MI
Thomas Jefferson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Jefferson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262241005954
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Jefferson Elem School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Manistee · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has class sizes larger than 85% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson Elem School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Manistee, MI.
School address
District: Manistee Area Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262241005954 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Jefferson Elem School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Jefferson Elem School
Thomas Jefferson Elem School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Manistee, Michigan, enrolling 292 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.0% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 292 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 586 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #568, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Manistee Area Public Schools also operates Manistee Middle High School (685 students) and John F Kennedy Elem School (270 students) alongside Thomas Jefferson Elem 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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School compares
Thomas Jefferson Elem 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 | 20.9:1 | ▲ 19% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▲ 3% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
292
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 85% in Michigan - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
41.1%
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
$15,137
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 88.0%
African American 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Two or More 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.2, Thomas Jefferson Elem School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manistee Area Public Schools, which includes Thomas Jefferson Elem School.
$15,137
Per student
+12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.3%
State 40.4%
Federal 18.3%
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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee Middle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John F Kennedy Elem School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Jefferson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
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 (~292 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Jefferson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Jefferson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Manistee Area 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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School
How many students attend Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has 292 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Manistee, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elem School is 20.9:1, which is 19% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
56.0% of students at Thomas Jefferson Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Jefferson Elem School is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Manistee, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School rank among public schools in Manistee?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson Elem School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Manistee, 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 Manistee on the city page.
Is Thomas Jefferson Elem School a good school?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Manistee Area Public Schools?
Besides Thomas Jefferson Elem School, Manistee Area Public Schools also operates Manistee Middle High School (685 students) and John F Kennedy Elem School (270 students). See the Manistee Area 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.