Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 16 schools in district

Silver Lake Elementary School

5858 CULVER RD, TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685Traverse City Area Public Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–05Non-Charter
306
Students
Total enrolled
$16,930
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 18% vs nat'l
17.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 10% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 306 students in grades PK–05 in TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan.
18% above average funding
District spends $16,930 per pupil, 18% more than the national average of $14,347.
17.0 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is near the national average of 15.4:1.
About This School

Silver Lake Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary in TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan, serving grades PK–05 with 306 students. The district invests $16,930 per student — 18% above the national average of $14,347, with a 17.0:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Silver Lake Elementary School

306
Total Students
17.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
50%
Free Lunch
18
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution167 male · 139 female
55%
45%
Male 55%Female 45%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility50%
National avg 52% · 154 students
Student Composition
92%
White92%
Hispanic / Latino5%
Black1%
Multiracial2%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 263387007469

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$16,930Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$16,930
State avg
$37,188
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$7,449
Student Support$3,217
Administration$2,032
Operations$2,540
Other$1,693
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $16,930 spent per student, an estimated $7,500 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
41%
49%
State government
40.7%
Local (property tax)
48.6%
Federal programs
10.7%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $16,930/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Central Grade SchoolEastern Elementary SchoolWillow Hill Elementary SchoolWestwoods Elementary School
+6 more
↓
Middle
West Middle SchoolEast Middle School
↓
High School
West Senior HighCentral High SchoolTraverse City High School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 05
Location—
CountyGrand Traverse County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictTraverse City Area Public Schools →
Phone: (231)933-3580
NCES ID: 263387007469
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in TRAVERSE CITY seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Traverse City Area Public Schools
High
West Senior High
1,509 students · 09–12
34% FRL
High
Central High School
1,387 students · 08–12
● 52 opp29% FRL
Mid
West Middle School
1,081 students · 06–08
38% FRL
Mid
East Middle School
786 students · 06–08
● 42 opp38% FRL
Elem
Central Grade School
516 students · PK–06
47% FRL
Elem
Eastern Elementary School
454 students · PK–05
● 52 opp27% FRL
Elem
Willow Hill Elementary School
421 students · PK–05
24% FRL
Elem
Westwoods Elementary School
368 students · PK–05
34% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
5858 CULVER RD, TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.