Airport Community Schools

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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Carleton, Michigan - 9 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks Airport Community Schools #546 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,155 per pupil, Airport Community Schools ranks #521 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,809
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$12,155
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Airport Community Schools operates 9 public schools serving 2,809 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Monroe County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,155 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 25.2% local, 62.9% state, and 11.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 37/100, ranked #546 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 227.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 36.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.5% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Loren Eyler Elementary School, with a diversity index of 33.8/100.

Its largest campus is Airport Senior High School, enrolling 760 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Airport Middle College, at 12 students, a 63x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Airport Senior High School accounts for 26.6% of all Airport Community Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Airport Community Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Airport Community Schools school enrollment varies 63× across entities

Airport Community Schools school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 760 students (highest), a spread of 748 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Airport Community Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.3% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Airport Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 227:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Airport Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 36.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.9%
Federal
62.9%
State
25.2%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
546 / 707
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Airport Community Schools.

White 86.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
African American 2.7%
Multiracial 4.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 24.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Airport Community Schools's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Loren Eyler Elementary School 33.8
  2. 2 Airport Center for Education 32.2
  3. 3 Fred W Ritter Elementary School 25.2
  4. 4 Wagar 56 Middle School 23.7
  5. 5 Henry Niedermeier Elementary School 23.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 9
Schools with AP
12 AP courses total
227.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Airport Community Schools

School Enrollment
Airport Senior High School
760
Wagar 78 Middle School
641
Joseph C Sterling Elementary School
370
Loren Eyler Elementary School
292
Fred W Ritter Elementary School
265
Henry Niedermeier Elementary School
242
Wagar 56 Middle School
221
Airport Center for Education
49
Airport Middle College
12

How Airport Community Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
South Redford School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Harper Creek Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gaylord Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Riverview Community School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ionia Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Airport Community Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Michigan

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $12,513/pupil
Compare vs Airport Community Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Airport Community Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Airport Community Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $13,630/pupil
Compare vs Airport Community Schools →

Compare Airport Community Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Airport Community Schools?

Airport Community Schools has 9 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 5 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,809 students.

How much does Airport Community Schools spend per student?

Airport Community Schools spends $12,155 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #546 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Airport Community Schools?

Airport Community Schools students are 86.5% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Airport Community Schools?

Airport Community Schools has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #546 out of 707 districts in Michigan.