Enrollment
286
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · East Lansing, MI
Whitehills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whitehills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261260004976
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitehills Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 7
- schools in East Lansing · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 24.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Whitehills Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitehills Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 schools in East Lansing, MI.
School address
District: East Lansing School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261260004976 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitehills Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitehills Elementary School
Whitehills Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in East Lansing, Michigan, enrolling 286 students.
At 16.8:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.9% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Michigan average.
With 286 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 298 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among East Lansing's public schools, it stands alongside Ingham Isd Asd Programs (11 students): Whitehills Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 3.7:1).
East Lansing School District also operates East Lansing High School (1,231 students) and Macdonald Middle School (857 students) alongside Whitehills 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 Whitehills Elementary School compares
Whitehills 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.9% | ▼ 54% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 51% in Michigan - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$12,101
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
African American 11.2%
Asian 5.9%
Two or More 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, Whitehills Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Lansing School District, which includes Whitehills Elementary School.
$12,101
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 45.9%
Federal 9.6%
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 Whitehills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Macdonald Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marble School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glencairn School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert L Green Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitehills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,231
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in East Lansing
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitehills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whitehills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- East Lansing 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 Whitehills Elementary School
How many students attend Whitehills Elementary School?
Whitehills Elementary School has 286 students enrolled. It is a public school in East Lansing, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitehills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitehills Elementary School is 16.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 7% 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 Whitehills Elementary School?
24.9% of students at Whitehills Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitehills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whitehills Elementary School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in East Lansing, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitehills Elementary School?
Whitehills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Whitehills Elementary School rank among schools in East Lansing?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitehills Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 schools in East Lansing, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in East Lansing on the city page.
Is Whitehills Elementary School a good school?
Whitehills Elementary School earns 29/100 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 East Lansing School District?
Besides Whitehills Elementary School, East Lansing School District also operates East Lansing High School (1,231 students), Macdonald Middle School (857 students), and Marble School (306 students). See the East Lansing 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.