Enrollment
514
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Orion, MI
Waldon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Waldon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262073005743
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waldon Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of Michigan schools.
- #7 of 10
- public schools in Lake Orion · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Waldon Middle School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waldon Middle School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Lake Orion, MI.
School address
District: Lake Orion Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262073005743 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waldon Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waldon Middle School
Waldon Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lake Orion, Michigan, enrolling 514 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.1% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 514 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 505 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #317.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 514 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students) and Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students) alongside Waldon 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 Waldon Middle School compares
Waldon 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 23% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 59% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 20% in Michigan - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$14,289
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 514 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 75.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 3.5%
African American 2.7%
Largest group: White at 75.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.6, Waldon Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Orion Community Schools, which includes Waldon Middle School.
$14,289
Per student
+6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.3%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.9%
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 Waldon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Orion Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orion Oaks Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakview Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paint Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webber School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waldon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,035
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle 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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waldon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Waldon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Orion 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 Waldon Middle School
How many students attend Waldon Middle School?
Waldon Middle School has 514 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Orion, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waldon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waldon Middle School is 13.5:1, which is 23% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 14% 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 Waldon Middle School?
22.1% of students at Waldon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waldon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Waldon Middle School is White at 75.9% of enrollment, in Lake Orion, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waldon Middle School?
Waldon Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Waldon Middle School rank among public schools in Lake Orion?
By Resource Investment Index, Waldon Middle School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Lake Orion, 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 Lake Orion on the city page.
Is Waldon Middle School a good school?
Waldon Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Lake Orion Community Schools?
Besides Waldon Middle School, Lake Orion Community Schools also operates Lake Orion Community High School (2,035 students), Orion Oaks Elementary School (514 students), and Oakview Middle School (510 students). See the Lake Orion 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.