Birch Run Area 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.

Birch Run, Michigan - 4 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks Birch Run Area Schools #550 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,743 per pupil, Birch Run Area Schools ranks #604 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,817
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$11,743
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Birch Run Area Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,817 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 1 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 Saginaw County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,743 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 19.6% local, 67.2% state, and 13.2% 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 #550 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 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), and 35.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.2% White, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Birch Run Progressive High School, with a diversity index of 28.3/100.

Its largest campus is North Elementary School, enrolling 682 students (38% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Birch Run Progressive High School, at 38 students, a 18x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

North Elementary School accounts for 37.5% of all Birch Run Area Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Birch Run Area 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

Birch Run Area Schools school enrollment varies 18× across entities

Birch Run Area Schools school enrollment ranges from 38 students (lowest) to 682 students (highest), a spread of 644 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

Birch Run Area Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.6% 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

Birch Run Area Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 35.7% — 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?

13.2%
Federal
67.2%
State
19.6%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
550 / 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 4 schools in Birch Run Area Schools.

White 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 2.6%
Multiracial 2.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 19.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Birch Run Area Schools's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Birch Run Progressive High School 28.3
  2. 2 Birch Run High School 23.8
  3. 3 Marshall Greene Middle School 18.4
  4. 4 North Elementary School 8.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
35.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Birch Run Area Schools

School Enrollment
North Elementary School
682
Marshall Greene Middle School
548
Birch Run High School
538
Birch Run Progressive High School
38

How Birch Run Area Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Chippewa Hills School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Clintondale Community Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
University Preparatory Academy (Psad) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
South Haven Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Dundee Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Birch Run Area 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 Birch Run Area Schools?

Birch Run Area Schools has 4 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 2 high. Total enrollment is 1,817 students.

How much does Birch Run Area Schools spend per student?

Birch Run Area Schools spends $11,743 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #550 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Birch Run Area Schools?

Birch Run Area Schools students are 89.2% White, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Birch Run Area Schools?

Birch Run Area Schools has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #550 out of 707 districts in Michigan.