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Chelsea, Michigan - 4 schools
An equity score of 43/100 ranks Chelsea School District #449 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,718 per pupil, Chelsea School District ranks #149 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,300
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,718
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Chelsea School District operates 4 public schools serving 2,300 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 middle, 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 Washtenaw County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,718 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 46.1% local, 48.3% state, and 5.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 43/100, ranked #449 of 707 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 256.3:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 30.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.5% White, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Creek Elementary School, with a diversity index of 25.0/100.
Its largest campus is Chelsea High School, enrolling 750 students (34% of the district's total enrollment).
Chelsea High School accounts for 32.6% of all Chelsea School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Chelsea 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.
Chelsea School District student-counselor ratio is 256:1 — 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 Chelsea School District is typically wider than the Chelsea School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Chelsea School District chronic absenteeism rate is 30.4% — 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.
Chelsea School District has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,300 students.
How much does Chelsea School District spend per student?
Chelsea School District spends $14,718 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #449 in Michigan.
What is the demographic composition of Chelsea School District?
Chelsea School District students are 88.5% White, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% African American, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Chelsea School District?
Chelsea School District has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #449 out of 707 districts in Michigan.