Alpena Public 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Alpena, Michigan - 9 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Alpena Public Schools #494 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,611 per pupil, Alpena Public Schools ranks #488 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,672
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$13,611
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Alpena Public Schools operates 9 public schools serving 3,672 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 2 combined, 1 middle 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 Alpena County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,611 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 27.2% local, 59.7% state, and 13.1% 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 41/100, ranked #494 of 702 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 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 906.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.1% White, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Besser Elementary School, with a diversity index of 21.1/100.

Its largest campus is Alpena High School, enrolling 1,091 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Aces Academy, at 57 students, a 19x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Alpena High School accounts for 29.7% of all Alpena Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Alpena Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Alpena Public Schools school enrollment varies 19× across entities

Alpena Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 57 students (lowest) to 1,091 students (highest), a spread of 1,034 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Alpena Public Schools reports 53.8% 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

Alpena Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 906:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Alpena Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 30.9% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

13.1%
Federal
59.7%
State
27.2%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
494 / 702
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Alpena Public Schools.

White 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Multiracial 4.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 16.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Besser Elementary School 21.1
  2. 2 Wilson Elementary 20.1
  3. 3 Lincoln Elementary 19.1
  4. 4 Ella M White Elementary 18.6
  5. 5 Sanborn Elementary 17.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
906.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Alpena Public Schools

School Enrollment
Alpena High School
1,091
Thunder Bay Junior High School
796
Besser Elementary School
470
Ella M White Elementary
440
Wilson Elementary
220
Sanborn Elementary
201
Lincoln Elementary
146
Hinks Elementary
132
Aces Academy
57

How Alpena Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Oak Park School District of the City of Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Allen Park Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
East China School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Gibraltar School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ypsilanti Community Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Alpena Public 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 · $14,295/pupil
Compare vs Alpena Public Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $18,204/pupil
Compare vs Alpena Public Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $19,271/pupil
Compare vs Alpena Public Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $14,974/pupil
Compare vs Alpena Public Schools →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Alpena Public 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 Alpena Public Schools?

Alpena Public Schools has 9 schools, including 2 combined, 1 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,672 students.

How much does Alpena Public Schools spend per student?

Alpena Public Schools spends $13,611 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #494 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Alpena Public Schools?

Alpena Public Schools students are 91.1% White, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Alpena Public Schools?

Alpena Public Schools has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #494 out of 702 districts in Michigan.