Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carleton, MI

Wagar 56 Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Wagar 56 Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260198008660
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10036/100
👥 S:T ratio
60
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
56
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Wagar 56 Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Michigan schools.

#3 of 3
public schools in Carleton · Resource Index
36
Resource Index · Typical
10:1
small classes for Michigan
46.3%
free-lunch eligible

Wagar 56 Middle School has class sizes smaller than 92% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Wagar 56 Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Carleton, MI.

School address

Carleton, MI 48117
District: Airport Community Schools · Michigan

NCES ID 260198008660 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-176 students YoY

Wagar 56 Middle School shrank from 410 students in 2022-23 to 234 in 2023-24 (-42.9%).

Teacher FTE lost 22.0 → 13.6 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-176 students YoY 260198008660 · Carleton, MI Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

221 enr · 10:1 · 46.3% lunch · RII 36

Nearest enrollment peer: Airport Senior High School (760 students)

Wagar 56 Middle School shrank from 410 students in 2022-23 to 234 in 2023-24 (-42.9%). Teacher FTE lost 22.0 → 13.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Michigan schools → · Find another →

Wagar 56 Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Wagar 56 Middle School reports 221 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Wagar 56 Middle School compares

Wagar 56 Middle School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 10:1 ▼ 43% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 46.3% ▼ 15% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 221 top 73% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
221
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
46.3%
free-lunch eligible - 15% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10:1
students per teacher - 43% below state mean
Top 8% in Michigan - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
68.3%
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
$13,138
per pupil, district-wide - below Michigan avg of $15,012
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 221 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 86.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 1.8%

Largest group: White at 86.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 23.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 23.7, Wagar 56 Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

District finance for Airport Community Schools reports $13,138 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Wagar 56 Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Airport Senior High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Wagar 78 Middle School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Loren Eyler Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Fred W Ritter Elementary School Similar size Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Wagar 56 Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Airport Community Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~221 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)

Frequently asked questions about Wagar 56 Middle School

How many students attend Wagar 56 Middle School?

Wagar 56 Middle School has 221 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carleton, MI. CCD year-over-year: 410 (2022-23) → 234 (2023-24), down 176.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Wagar 56 Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Wagar 56 Middle School is 10:1, which is 43% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 36% 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 Wagar 56 Middle School?

46.3% of students at Wagar 56 Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wagar 56 Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Wagar 56 Middle School is White at 86.9% of enrollment, in Carleton, MI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Wagar 56 Middle School?

Wagar 56 Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Wagar 56 Middle School rank among public schools in Carleton?

By Resource Investment Index, Wagar 56 Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Carleton, 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 Carleton on the city page.

What other schools are in Airport Community Schools?

Besides Wagar 56 Middle School, Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students), Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students), and Joseph C Sterling Elementary School (370 students). See the Airport Community Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .