Enrollment
114
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260096607970 Charter school
Three Lakes Academy — Curtis, MI
Federal NCES profile for Three Lakes Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 54
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Three Lakes Academy earns a D Resource Investment Index (44/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools.
- D
- Resource Index · 44/100
- 13:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 59.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 114
- students enrolled
School address
District: Three Lakes Academy · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Three Lakes Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Three Lakes Academy reports 114 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 17% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 10% above the Michigan average and 15% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Three Lakes Academy spends $16,505 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $13,507 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 4.7% from local sources (property taxes), 68.7% from the state, and 26.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Three Lakes Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 29% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.6% | ▲ 10% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 114 | top 15% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
13 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 69% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
114 larger than 11% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
59.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 10% 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
13:1
students per teacher
— 29% below state mean
Top 15% in Michigan — lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$16,505
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $13,507
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
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 114 Top 15% in Michigan — larger than 85% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 13:1 -29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.6% +10% vs state
NCES ID 260096607970
Student demographics
White 77.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 14.9%
Two or More 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Largest group: White at 77.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 18.4%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Three Lakes Academy, which includes Three Lakes Academy.
$16,505
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 4.7%
State 68.7%
Federal 26.6%
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Three Lakes Academy side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Three Lakes Academy
How many students attend Three Lakes Academy?
Three Lakes Academy has 114 students enrolled. It is a other school in Curtis, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Three Lakes Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Three Lakes Academy is 13:1, which is 29% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 17% 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 Three Lakes Academy?
59.6% of students at Three Lakes Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Three Lakes Academy?
The largest demographic group at Three Lakes Academy is White at 77.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Curtis, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Three Lakes Academy?
Three Lakes Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Three Lakes Academy a good school?
Three Lakes Academy earns a D Resource Investment Index (44/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Michigan schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.