Enrollment
221
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Airport Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260198008660 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wagar 56 Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wagar 56 Middle School
Wagar 56 Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Carleton, Michigan, enrolling 221 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10:1, Wagar 56 Middle School is leaner than roughly 92% of Michigan schools and 43% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 221 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 221 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 72 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 221 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students) and Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students) alongside Wagar 56 Middle 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 Wagar 56 Middle School compares
Wagar 56 Middle 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 | 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 (what these measure)
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
$12,155
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Airport Community Schools, which includes Wagar 56 Middle School.
$12,155
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 62.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 29.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~221 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wagar 56 Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Wagar 56 Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Airport Community 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 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.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Wagar 56 Middle School a good school?
Wagar 56 Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 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.
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.