Enrollment
429
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Traverse City, MI
Willow Hill Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Willow Hill Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263387006951
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Hill Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #7 of 16
- schools in Traverse City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 21.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Hill Elementary School has class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Hill Elementary School ranks #7 of 16 schools in Traverse City, MI.
School address
District: Traverse City Area Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263387006951 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Hill Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Hill Elementary School
Willow Hill Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Traverse City, Michigan, enrolling 429 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.4% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Michigan average.
With 429 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 477 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #206.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Traverse City's public schools, it stands alongside The Greenspire School (93 students): Willow Hill Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.4:1 vs 8.5:1).
Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates West Senior High (1,384 students) and Central High School (1,326 students) alongside Willow Hill 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 Willow Hill Elementary School compares
Willow Hill 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 | 20.4:1 | ▲ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.4% | ▼ 61% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Michigan - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,932
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
1
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 94.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 94.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.4, Willow Hill Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Traverse City Area Public Schools, which includes Willow Hill Elementary School.
$12,932
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 40.7%
Federal 10.7%
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.
How Willow Hill Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Grade School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Hill Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,326
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Traverse City
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 (~429 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Hill Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Willow Hill Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Traverse City Area Public 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 Willow Hill Elementary School
How many students attend Willow Hill Elementary School?
Willow Hill Elementary School has 429 students enrolled. It is a public school in Traverse City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Hill Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Hill Elementary School is 20.4:1, which is 17% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Hill Elementary School?
21.4% of students at Willow Hill Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Hill Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Willow Hill Elementary School is White at 94.6% of enrollment, in Traverse City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Hill Elementary School?
Willow Hill Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Willow Hill Elementary School rank among schools in Traverse City?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Hill Elementary School ranks #7 of 16 schools in Traverse City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Traverse City on the city page.
Is Willow Hill Elementary School a good school?
Willow Hill Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Traverse City Area Public Schools?
Besides Willow Hill Elementary School, Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates West Senior High (1,384 students), Central High School (1,326 students), and West Middle School (1,081 students). See the Traverse City Area Public 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.