Enrollment
247
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 260222003969
West Ward Elementary School — Allegan, MI
Federal NCES profile for West Ward Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 18/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Allegan Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Ward Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Ward Elementary School reports 247 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 19% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 4% above the Michigan average and 9% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 57.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Allegan Public Schools spends $15,381 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.7% from local sources (property taxes), 57.7% from the state, and 12.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Ward Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 4% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.5% | ▲ 4% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 247 | top 31% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
56.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 4% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 71% in Michigan — lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,381
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 247 Top 31% in Michigan — larger than 69% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 18.9:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.5% +4% vs state
NCES ID 260222003969
Student demographics
White 84.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 3.2%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 57.1%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Allegan Public Schools, which includes West Ward Elementary School.
$15,381
Per student
-3%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 57.7%
Federal 12.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 278
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 112
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Allegan
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Ward Elementary School
How many students attend West Ward Elementary School?
West Ward Elementary School has 247 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in ALLEGAN, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Ward Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Ward Elementary School is 18.9:1, which is 4% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Ward Elementary School?
56.5% of students at West Ward Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Ward Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Ward Elementary School is White at 84.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in ALLEGAN, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Ward Elementary School?
West Ward Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.