Enrollment
245
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 263387006950
Traverse Heights Elem School — Traverse City, MI
Federal NCES profile for Traverse Heights Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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 →
School address
District: Traverse City Area Public Schools · 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)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Traverse Heights Elem School 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
Traverse Heights Elem School reports 245 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% 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 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 72.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% above the Michigan average and 41% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 44.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Traverse City Area Public Schools spends $16,860 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 48.6% from local sources (property taxes), 40.7% from the state, and 10.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), 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 Traverse Heights Elem School 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.8% | ▲ 34% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 31% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
72.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 22% in Michigan — lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
44.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,860
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
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
18
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 245 Top 31% in Michigan — larger than 69% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 72.8% +34% vs state
NCES ID 263387006950
Student demographics
White 60.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 13.1%
African American 9.0%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: White at 60.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 44.9%
In-school suspensions 18
Out-of-school suspensions 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Traverse City Area Public Schools, which includes Traverse Heights Elem School.
$16,860
Per student
+6%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 40.7%
Federal 10.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,326
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
Similar other schools in Traverse City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Central High School
Standard public school
1,326 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Grand Traverse Academy
Standard public school
824 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Central Grade School
Standard public school
510 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Eastern Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Willow Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 20:1 students per teacher
Westwoods Elementary School
Standard public school
365 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
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.
Frequently asked questions about Traverse Heights Elem School
How many students attend Traverse Heights Elem School?
Traverse Heights Elem School has 245 students enrolled. It is a other school in TRAVERSE CITY, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Traverse Heights Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Traverse Heights Elem School is 14.3:1, which is 21% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Traverse Heights Elem School?
72.8% of students at Traverse Heights Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Traverse Heights Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Traverse Heights Elem School is White at 60.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in TRAVERSE CITY, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Traverse Heights Elem School?
Traverse Heights Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) 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.