Enrollment
262
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fowler, MI
Waldron Elementary and Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Waldron Elementary and 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 261470005167
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waldron Elementary and Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 18.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 262
- students enrolled
Waldron Elementary and Middle School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Fowler Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261470005167 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waldron Elementary and Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waldron Elementary and Middle School
Waldron Elementary and Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Fowler, Michigan, enrolling 262 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.8% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 262 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 167 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #73.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 624 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district, Fowler Public Schools, also runs Fowler High School (163 students).
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 Waldron Elementary and Middle School compares
Waldron Elementary and 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.8% | ▼ 65% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 28% in Michigan - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,631
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
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 95.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 95.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.1, Waldron Elementary and Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fowler Public Schools, which includes Waldron Elementary and Middle School.
$12,631
Per student
-6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.8%
State 65.7%
Federal 9.5%
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 Waldron Elementary and Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waldron Elementary and Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 163
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~262 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waldron Elementary and Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Waldron Elementary and Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fowler Public 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 Waldron Elementary and Middle School
How many students attend Waldron Elementary and Middle School?
Waldron Elementary and Middle School has 262 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fowler, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waldron Elementary and Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waldron Elementary and Middle School is 14.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 7% 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 Waldron Elementary and Middle School?
18.8% of students at Waldron Elementary and Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waldron Elementary and Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Waldron Elementary and Middle School is White at 95.8% of enrollment, in Fowler, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waldron Elementary and Middle School?
Waldron Elementary and 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).
Is Waldron Elementary and Middle School a good school?
Waldron Elementary and Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fowler Public Schools?
Besides Waldron Elementary and Middle School, Fowler Public Schools also operates Fowler High School (163 students). See the Fowler Public 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.