Atherton Elementary School

Atherton Elementary School is an intimate primary school in BURTON, Michigan, operated by Atherton Community Schools. The school serves 267 students in grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 369 students per school, that is 28% below typical.

Across the 3 schools in Atherton Community Schools (638 students total), Atherton Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Atherton Elementary School reports that 50% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 28% Black, 12% multiracial, 9% Hispanic. By comparison, Genesee County as a whole is about 72% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Atherton Elementary School has 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.8:1, putting Atherton Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 90% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Genesee County (around 61%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Genesee County indicate median household earnings sit near $62,281, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. In all, Genesee County runs 158 public schools (combined enrollment of about 58,534 students), of which Atherton Elementary School is one.

Atherton Jr Sr High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 30%: 380 students in 2018 compared to 267 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 61% to 50%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.9:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.