NCES CCD 2024-25 45 schools MI

Best-Resourced Schools in Saginaw, MI

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

45
Schools
16,130
Students
31.4/100
Avg Resource Index
17.7:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Saginaw has more public-school enrollment than 90% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Saginaw is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 12 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

29 of Saginaw'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 84-point gap between Career Opportunities Center and Saginaw Covenant Academy shows the range hidden by Saginaw'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 10%
School count
Top 4%
Resource Index average
15th percentile
Teacher staffing
28th percentile

Saginaw school enrollment varies 438× across entities

Saginaw school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 1,313 students (highest), a spread of 1,310 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

Saginaw reports 69.9% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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

Saginaw operates 12 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

Saginaw student-teacher ratio is 17.7:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

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 Variation between sub-units within Saginaw is typically wider than the Saginaw-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

6 of Saginaw's 45 listed schools are charters

13% 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. Career Opportunities Center 94
2. Michael J Mcgivney 59
3. Saginaw County Juvenile Center 55
4. Herig School 52
5. Hemmeter Elementary School 48
6. Martin G Atkins Elementary School 47
7. Zilwaukee K8 School 45
8. Handley School 44
9. Saginaw High School 42
10. Arthur Eddy Academy 41
11. Merrill Park Elementary School 38
12. Chester F Miller School 38
13. Robert B Havens Elem School 37
14. Mg Millet Learning Center 37
15. International Academy of Saginaw 37
16. Swan Valley Adult and Alternative Education 35
17. Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy 34
18. Heritage High School 33
19. Bridgeportspaulding Middle Schoolschrah 31
20. Carrollton High School 29
21. Shields Elementary School 28
22. Mackinaw High School 28
23. Swan Valley Middle School 27
24. White Pine Middle School 26
25. Thomas White School 26
26. Omni High School 26
27. Arrowwood Elementary School 25
28. Carrollton Middle School 25
29. Jessie Rouse School 25
30. Sherwood Elementary School 24
31. Weiss Elementary School 24
32. Kempton Elementary School 24
33. Stone School 24
34. Jessie Loomis School 23
35. Westdale Elementary School 22
36. Francis Reh Psa 21
37. Arthur Hill High School 18
38. Swan Valley High School 18
39. Thompson Middle School 17
40. Saginaw Preparatory Academy 17
41. Carrollton Elementary School 16
42. North Saginaw Charter Academy 15
43. The Success Academy 15
44. Saginaw Academy of Excellence 15
45. Saginaw Covenant Academy 10

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Saginaw

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 Handley School 72.6/100
  2. 2 Mackinaw High School 71.9/100
  3. 3 Westdale Elementary School 71.8/100
  4. 4 Sherwood Elementary School 71.2/100
  5. 5 Weiss Elementary School 70.9/100

What do families ask about schools in Saginaw?

Which Saginaw school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Career Opportunities Center has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Saginaw schools in this federal-data comparison at 94/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Saginaw, MI?

Saginaw has 45 public schools with a total enrollment of 16,130 students. 6 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 17.7:1.

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.