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

Caro, Michigan - 5 schools

An equity score of 44/100 ranks Caro Community Schools #431 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,787 per pupil, Caro Community Schools ranks #463 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,496
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,787
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Caro Community Schools operates 5 public schools serving 1,496 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 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 Tuscola County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,787 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 24.2% local, 64.1% state, and 11.7% 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 44/100, ranked #431 of 702 in Michigan against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 333:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 45.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.6% White, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Schall Elementary School, with a diversity index of 25.6/100.

Its largest campus is Caro High School, enrolling 411 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Caro Alternative High School, at 33 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Caro High School accounts for 27.5% of all Caro Community Schools student enrollment

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

Caro Community Schools school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Caro Community Schools school enrollment ranges from 33 students (lowest) to 411 students (highest), a spread of 378 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

Caro Community Schools reports 62.4% 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

Caro Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 333:1 — 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 Caro Community Schools is typically wider than the Caro Community Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Caro Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 45.4% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

11.7%
Federal
64.1%
State
24.2%
Local

Funding Equity

44
Equity Score
431 / 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 5 schools in Caro Community Schools.

White 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 20.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Schall Elementary School 25.6
  2. 2 Caro High School 25.4
  3. 3 Caro Alternative High School 21.3
  4. 4 Caro Middle School 19.9
  5. 5 Mccomb Elementary School 10.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
333:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Caro Community Schools

School Enrollment
Caro High School
411
Mccomb Elementary School
321
Caro Middle School
305
Schall Elementary School
295
Caro Alternative High School
33

How Caro Community Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
South Lake Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Kingsley Area Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Essexville-Hampton Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Westwood Community School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Gladstone Area Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Caro Community Schools has 5 schools, including 1 high, 2 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,496 students.

How much does Caro Community Schools spend per student?

Caro Community Schools spends $13,787 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #431 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Caro Community Schools?

Caro Community Schools students are 88.6% White, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Caro Community Schools?

Caro Community Schools has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #431 out of 702 districts in Michigan.