Atherton 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.

Burton, Michigan - 3 schools

An equity score of 61/100 ranks Atherton Community Schools #179 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,620 per pupil, Atherton Community Schools ranks #259 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

759
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,620
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Atherton Community Schools operates 3 public schools serving 759 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Genesee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,620 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 28.5% local, 54.4% state, and 17.1% 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 61/100, ranked #179 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 323:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 59.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.5% White, 32.0% African American, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.

Its largest campus is Atherton Jr Sr High School, enrolling 323 students (51% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center, at 48 students, a 7x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Atherton Jr Sr High School accounts for 42.6% of all Atherton Community Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Atherton Community Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Atherton Community Schools school enrollment varies 6.7× across entities

Atherton Community Schools school enrollment ranges from 48 students (lowest) to 323 students (highest), a spread of 275 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Atherton Community Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 86.7% 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 — including this one — 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

Atherton Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 323:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Atherton Community Schools is typically wider than the Atherton Community Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Atherton Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 59.3% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.1%
Federal
54.4%
State
28.5%
Local

Funding Equity

61
Equity Score
179 / 707
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 3 schools in Atherton Community Schools.

White 43.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
African American 32.0%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 14.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 67.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center 69.0
  2. 2 Atherton Jr Sr High School 68.3
  3. 3 Atherton Elementary School 64.9

Programs & Resources

323:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
59.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Atherton Community Schools

School Enrollment
Atherton Jr Sr High School
323
Atherton Elementary School
267
Atherton Vern Van Y Educational Center
48

How Atherton Community Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Countryside Academy Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Quest Charter Academy Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Iron Mountain Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Montabella Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mount Clemens Community School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Atherton 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 Atherton Community Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Atherton Community Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Atherton Community Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $13,630/pupil
Compare vs Atherton Community Schools →

Compare Atherton 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 Atherton Community Schools?

Atherton Community Schools has 3 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 759 students.

How much does Atherton Community Schools spend per student?

Atherton Community Schools spends $13,620 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #179 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Atherton Community Schools?

Atherton Community Schools students are 43.5% White, 32.0% African American, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Atherton Community Schools?

Atherton Community Schools has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #179 out of 707 districts in Michigan.