Dowagiac Union School District operates 7 public schools serving 1,900 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,815 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cass County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,512 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 32.6% local, 45.7% state, and 21.7% 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 $54,082 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 54/100, ranked #289 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 410.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.2% White, 19.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% African American across the district's schools.
Union High School accounts for 27.9% of all Dowagiac Union School District student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Dowagiac Union 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.
Dowagiac Union School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities
Dowagiac Union School District school enrollment ranges from 49 students (lowest) to 507 students (highest), a spread of 458 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.
Dowagiac Union School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.9% 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.
Dowagiac Union School District student-counselor ratio is 410:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Dowagiac Union School District chronic absenteeism rate is 37.3% — 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.
How many schools are in Dowagiac Union School District?
Dowagiac Union School District has 7 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 1 other, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,900 students.
How much does Dowagiac Union School District spend per student?
Dowagiac Union School District spends $15,512 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #289 in Michigan.
What is the average teacher salary in Dowagiac Union School District?
The average teacher salary in Dowagiac Union School District is $54,082 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Dowagiac Union School District?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cass County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Dowagiac Union School District?
Dowagiac Union School District students are 60.2% White, 19.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dowagiac Union School District?
Dowagiac Union School District has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #289 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.