NCES CCD 2024-25 45 schools MI

Best-Resourced Schools in Muskegon, MI

45 public K-12 schools in Muskegon from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

45
Schools
17,967
Students
28.5/100
Avg Resource Index
18.3:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Muskegon has more public-school enrollment than 91% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Muskegon is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 15 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

24 of Muskegon's 45 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

Campus spread matters more than the city mean

The 57-point gap between Lakeshore Learning Center and Muskegon Maritime Academy shows the range hidden by Muskegon's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.

City enrollment
Top 9%
School count
Top 4%
Resource Index average
9th percentile
Teacher staffing
24th percentile

Muskegon school enrollment varies 91× across entities

Muskegon school enrollment ranges from 14 students (lowest) to 1,268 students (highest), a spread of 1,254 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Muskegon reports 62.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Muskegon operates 15 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Muskegon student-teacher ratio is 18.3:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

8 of Muskegon's 45 listed schools are charters

18% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Lakeshore Learning Center 57
2. Orchard View Community Education 56
3. North Muskegon Elementary School 50
4. North Muskegon Middle School 50
5. White Lake Area Community Education 45
6. Churchill Elementary School 44
7. Muskegon County Juvenile Transition Center 44
8. Ross Park Elementary School 39
9. Dr Martin Luther King Academy 39
10. Oakridge High School 38
11. Oakridge Fusion 38
12. North Muskegon High School 36
13. Wesley School 36
14. Muskegon Community Education Center 36
15. Pennsylvania Elementary School 36
16. Campbell Elementary School 34
17. Oakridge Middle School 34
18. Central Elementary School 33
19. Lincoln Park Elementary School 32
20. Beach Elementary School 32
21. Marquette Elementary School 29
22. Shettler School 28
23. Oakridge Upper Elementary School 27
24. Mona Shores High School 26
25. Mona Shores Middle School 26
26. Reethspuffer High School 25
27. Orchard View High School 24
28. Three Oaks Public School Academy 23
29. Orchard View Early Elementary 23
30. Reethspuffer Middle School 22
31. Bunker Elementary 22
32. Reethspuffer Elementary School 21
33. Muskegon Heights Academy 20
34. Moon Elementary School 20
35. Oakridge Lower Elementary School 19
36. Timberland Academy 17
37. Cardinal Elementary 17
38. Reethspuffer Intermediate Sch 16
39. Muskegon Covenant Academy 15
40. Edgewood Elementary Academy 14
41. Orchard View Middle School 13
42. Oakview Elementary School 10
43. Muskegon Middle School 9
44. Muskegon High School 8
45. Muskegon Maritime Academy -

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Muskegon

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Bunker Elementary 68.6/100
  2. 2 Muskegon Middle School 64.6/100
  3. 3 Orchard View High School 64.3/100
  4. 4 Orchard View Middle School 64.3/100
  5. 5 Orchard View Early Elementary 62.5/100

What do families ask about schools in Muskegon?

Which Muskegon school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Lakeshore Learning Center has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Muskegon schools in this federal-data comparison at 57/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Muskegon, MI?

Muskegon has 45 public schools with a total enrollment of 17,967 students. 8 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 18.3:1.

Other Cities in Michigan

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Michigan →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.