Bay City School District

BAY CITY, Michigan — 13 schools

6,385
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$15,225
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bay City School District operates 13 public schools serving 6,385 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 other, 4 high, 2 middle, 2 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 6,030 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Bay County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,225 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 20.2% local, 61.2% state, and 18.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $70,339 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 61/100, ranked #185 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (22 AP courses district-wide), a 241.3:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 49.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 73.6% White, 13.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.7% African American across the district's schools.

Bay City Western High School accounts for 16.7% of all Bay City School District student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Bay City School District-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

Bay City School District school enrollment varies 16× across entities

Bay City School District school enrollment ranges from 65 students (lowest) to 1,009 students (highest), a spread of 944 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Bay City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.3% 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

Bay City School District student-counselor ratio is 241:1 — 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

Bay City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 49.8% — 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?

18.7%
Federal
61.2%
State
20.2%
Local

Funding Equity

61
Equity Score
185 / 756
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Bay County county, where this district is located.

$809
Studio/mo
$814
1 BR/mo
$1,030
2 BR/mo
$1,399
3 BR/mo
$1,518
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$70,339
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 13 schools in Bay City School District.

White 73.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.5%
African American 3.7%
Multiracial 8.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 13
Schools with AP
22 AP courses total
241.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Bay City School District

School Enrollment
Bay City Western High School
1,009
Bay City Central High School
921
Western Middle School
681
Handy Middle School
598
Auburn Elementary School
474
Kolb Elementary School
451
Hampton Elementary School
399
Mcalearsawden Elem School
378
Washington Elementary School
362
Macgregor Elementary School
290
Mackensen Elementary School
265
Bay City Eastern High School
137
Bay City Adult Educationctp
65

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 · $13,844/pupil
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Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $17,609/pupil
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Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $22,548/pupil
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Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $16,462/pupil
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Compare Bay City School District

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 Bay City School District?

Bay City School District has 13 schools, including 4 high, 2 middle, 2 elementary, 5 other. Total enrollment is 6,385 students.

How much does Bay City School District spend per student?

Bay City School District spends $15,225 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #185 in Michigan.

What is the average teacher salary in Bay City School District?

The average teacher salary in Bay City School District is $70,339 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Bay City School District?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Bay County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Bay City School District?

Bay City School District students are 73.6% White, 13.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.7% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bay City School District?

Bay City School District has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #185 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

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