Enrollment
594
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Parma, MI
Western Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Western Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 263594007201
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Parma · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 35.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Middle School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Parma, MI.
School address
District: Western School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263594007201 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Middle School
Western Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Parma, Michigan, enrolling 594 students.
At 16.5:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 594 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 598 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #269.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 119 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 594 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Western School District also operates Western High School (809 students) and Bean Elementary School (409 students) alongside Western 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 Western Middle School compares
Western 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.8% | ▼ 34% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
594
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Michigan - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.2%
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
$11,737
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
50
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.0 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 84.2%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 2.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.3, Western Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Western School District, which includes Western Middle School.
$11,737
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 70.3%
Federal 9.9%
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 Western Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bean Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parma Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Warner Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodville Community Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 809
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 97
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
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 (~594 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Western Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Western School District'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 Western Middle School
How many students attend Western Middle School?
Western Middle School has 594 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Parma, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Middle School is 16.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 5% 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 Western Middle School?
35.8% of students at Western Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Western Middle School is White at 84.2% of enrollment, in Parma, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Middle School?
Western Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Western Middle School rank among public schools in Parma?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Parma, 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 Parma on the city page.
Is Western Middle School a good school?
Western Middle School earns 28/100 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 Western School District?
Besides Western Middle School, Western School District also operates Western High School (809 students), Bean Elementary School (409 students), and Parma Elementary School (408 students). See the Western School District 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.