Enrollment
375
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Battle Creek, MI
Wattles Park Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wattles Park Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261773005439
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wattles Park Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 13
- elementary schools in Battle Creek · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- students per teacher
- 49.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Wattles Park Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wattles Park Elementary School ranks #2 of 13 elementary schools in Battle Creek, MI.
School address
District: Harper Creek Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261773005439 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wattles Park Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wattles Park Elementary School
Wattles Park Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Battle Creek, Michigan, enrolling 375 students.
At 17:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.7% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 375 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 724 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #35, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Harper Creek Community Schools also operates Harper Creek Middle School (896 students) and Harper Creek High School (823 students) alongside Wattles Park Elementary 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 Wattles Park Elementary School compares
Wattles Park Elementary 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 | 17:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.7% | ▼ 8% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in Michigan - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,137
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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 80.8%
Two or More 10.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 80.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Wattles Park Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harper Creek Community Schools, which includes Wattles Park Elementary School.
$13,137
Per student
-3%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.5%
State 58.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Wattles Park Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Creek Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harper Creek High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sonoma Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beadle Lake Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wattles Park Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 351
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~375 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wattles Park Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wattles Park Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Harper Creek 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 Wattles Park Elementary School
How many students attend Wattles Park Elementary School?
Wattles Park Elementary School has 375 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wattles Park Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wattles Park Elementary School is 17:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% higher 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 Wattles Park Elementary School?
49.7% of students at Wattles Park Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wattles Park Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wattles Park Elementary School is White at 80.8% of enrollment, in Battle Creek, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wattles Park Elementary School?
Wattles Park Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wattles Park Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Battle Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Wattles Park Elementary School ranks #2 of 13 elementary schools in Battle Creek, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Battle Creek on the city page.
Is Wattles Park Elementary School a good school?
Wattles Park Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Harper Creek Community Schools?
Besides Wattles Park Elementary School, Harper Creek Community Schools also operates Harper Creek Middle School (896 students), Harper Creek High School (823 students), and Sonoma Elementary (351 students). See the Harper Creek 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.