Enrollment
380
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ottawa Lake, MI
Whiteford Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whiteford Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263627007216
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whiteford Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Ottawa Lake · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 19.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Whiteford Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whiteford Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Ottawa Lake, MI.
School address
NCES ID 263627007216 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whiteford Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whiteford Elementary School
Whiteford Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, enrolling 380 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.5% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Michigan average.
With 380 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.
Against 422 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #211.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le also operates Whiteford High School (262 students) and Whiteford Middle School (188 students) alongside Whiteford 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 Whiteford Elementary School compares
Whiteford 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.5% | ▼ 64% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
19:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Michigan - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,545
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, Whiteford Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le, which includes Whiteford Elementary School.
$11,545
Per student
-15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 63.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Whiteford Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteford High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whiteford Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whiteford Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other 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 (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whiteford Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whiteford Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le'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 Whiteford Elementary School
How many students attend Whiteford Elementary School?
Whiteford Elementary School has 380 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ottawa Lake, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whiteford Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whiteford Elementary School is 19:1, which is 9% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whiteford Elementary School?
19.5% of students at Whiteford Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whiteford Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whiteford Elementary School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Ottawa Lake, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whiteford Elementary School?
Whiteford Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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).
How does Whiteford Elementary School rank among public schools in Ottawa Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Whiteford Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Ottawa Lake, 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 Ottawa Lake on the city page.
Is Whiteford Elementary School a good school?
Whiteford Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le?
Besides Whiteford Elementary School, Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le also operates Whiteford High School (262 students) and Whiteford Middle School (188 students). See the Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le district page for the complete list.
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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.