Dowagiac Union Schools

Listed by NCES as Dowagiac Union School District (district ID 2612150)

Public school district · Cass County · Michigan · NCES district ID 2612150

Dowagiac Union Schools spent $15,351 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 75% of the other Michigan districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $14,214). Its 7 schools enrolled 1,815 students in 2024-25; 50.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,458 per student, down 5.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 70-74% (Michigan: 81.8%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Michigan districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Dowagiac Union Schools in enrollment (1,868 to 1,953 students) and Dowagiac Union Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Michigan districts closest in size to Dowagiac Union Schools, FY23Milan Area $16,234; Dowagiac Union Schools $15,351; West Branch-Rose City Area Schools $15,252; Alma Public Schools $14,702; Oakridge Public Schools $13,976; Westwood Heights Schools $13,854; Croswell-Lexington Community Schools $13,710; Goodrich Area Schools $12,654; Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools $12,236; Star International Academy $12,021; State median, 1,000+ students $14,214.10k12k14k16k18kMilan Area$16,234Dowagiac Union Schools$15,351West Branch-Rose City Area Sch…$15,252Alma Public Schools$14,702Oakridge Public Schools$13,976Westwood Heights Schools$13,854Croswell-Lexington Community S…$13,710Goodrich Area Schools$12,654Sault Ste. Marie Area Public S…$12,236Star International Academy$12,021State median, 1,000+ students $14,214
Current spending per student, Michigan districts closest in size to Dowagiac Union Schools, FY23Milan Area $16,234; Dowagiac Union Schools $15,351; West Branch-Rose City Area Schools $15,252; Alma Public Schools $14,702; Oakridge Public Schools $13,976; Westwood Heights Schools $13,854; Croswell-Lexington Community Schools $13,710; Goodrich Area Schools $12,654; Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools $12,236; Star International Academy $12,021; State median, 1,000+ students $14,214.10k12k14k16k18kMilan Area$16,234Dowagiac Union Schools$15,351West Branch-Rose City Area Schools$15,252Alma Public Schools$14,702Oakridge Public Schools$13,976Westwood Heights Schools$13,854Croswell-Lexington Community Schools$13,710Goodrich Area Schools$12,654Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools$12,236Star International Academy$12,021State median, 1,000+ students $14,214
Current spending per student, Michigan districts closest in size to Dowagiac Union Schools, FY23Milan Area $16,234; Dowagiac Union Schools $15,351; West Branch-Rose City Area Schools $15,252; Alma Public Schools $14,702; Oakridge Public Schools $13,976; Westwood Heights Schools $13,854; Croswell-Lexington Community Schools $13,710; Goodrich Area Schools $12,654; Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools $12,236; Star International Academy $12,021; State median, 1,000+ students $14,214.10k14k18kMilan Area$16,234Dowagiac Union Schools$15,351West Branch-Rose City Area Schools$15,252Alma Public Schools$14,702Oakridge Public Schools$13,976Westwood Heights Schools$13,854Croswell-Lexington Community Schools$13,710Goodrich Area Schools$12,654Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools$12,236Star International Academy$12,021State median, 1,000+ students $14,214
Current spending per student, Michigan districts closest in size to Dowagiac Union Schools, FY23Milan Area $16,234; Dowagiac Union Schools $15,351; West Branch-Rose City Area Schools $15,252; Alma Public Schools $14,702; Oakridge Public Schools $13,976; Westwood Heights Schools $13,854; Croswell-Lexington Community Schools $13,710; Goodrich Area Schools $12,654; Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools $12,236; Star International Academy $12,021; State median, 1,000+ students $14,214.10k14k18kMilan Area$16,234Dowagiac Union Schools$15,351West Branch-Rose City Area Schools$15,252Alma Public Schools$14,702Oakridge Public Schools$13,976Westwood Heights Schools$13,854Croswell-Lexington Community Schools$13,710Goodrich Area Schools$12,654Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools$12,236Star International Academy$12,021State median, 1,000+ students $14,214

Where the money came from

$34,185,000 in revenue: 50.7% state, 31.9% local and 17.4% federal. Total spending including $1,387,000 of capital outlay was $32,909,000, or $17,321 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Dowagiac Union Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $17,342,000; Local $10,889,000; Federal $5,954,000; total $34,185,000.
  • State$17,342,000 51%
  • Local$10,889,000 32%
  • Federal$5,954,000 17%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 347 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

1,890 students in 2022-23, 1,854 students in 2023-24, 1,815 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Dowagiac Union Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,890, 2023-24: 1,854, 2024-25: 1,81505001k1.5k2k2022-231,8902023-241,8542024-251,815
Dowagiac Union Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,890, 2023-24: 1,854, 2024-25: 1,81505001k1.5k2k2022-231,8902023-241,8542024-251,815
Dowagiac Union Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,890, 2023-24: 1,854, 2024-25: 1,81505001k1.5k2k2022-231,8902023-241,8542024-251,815
Dowagiac Union Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,890, 2023-24: 1,854, 2024-25: 1,81505001k1.5k2k2022-231,8902023-241,8542024-251,815

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-231,890111.716.9
2023-241,854110.516.8
2024-251,815110.016.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$6,779,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,568 per student

Dowagiac Union Schools booked $6,779,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 112 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $60,446 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 40 in 100 Michigan districts with a figure (state median $62,387, 536 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Michigan teacher salary at $65,198 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$5,463,00080.6%
Special education$866,00012.8%
Vocational$81,0001.2%
Other programs$369,0005.4%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,054 in 2018-19, $2,973 in 2019-20, $2,940 in 2020-21, $3,177 in 2021-22, $3,568 in 2022-23.

Dowagiac Union Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,054, 2019-20: $2,973, 2020-21: $2,940, 2021-22: $3,177, 2022-23: $3,56801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0542019-20$2,9732020-21$2,9402021-22$3,1772022-23$3,568
Dowagiac Union Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,054, 2019-20: $2,973, 2020-21: $2,940, 2021-22: $3,177, 2022-23: $3,56801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0542019-20$2,9732020-21$2,9402021-22$3,1772022-23$3,568
Dowagiac Union Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,054, 2019-20: $2,973, 2020-21: $2,940, 2021-22: $3,177, 2022-23: $3,56801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0542019-20$2,9732020-21$2,9402021-22$3,1772022-23$3,568
Dowagiac Union Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,054, 2019-20: $2,973, 2020-21: $2,940, 2021-22: $3,177, 2022-23: $3,56801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0542019-20$2,9732020-21$2,9402021-22$3,1772022-23$3,568

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Dowagiac Union Schools scored proficient or above: 30-34% in reading and 18-22% in math, against 44% in reading and 34% in math across Michigan. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Michigan, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMichiganStudents tested
Reading and language arts30-34%44%865
Math18-22%34%861

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

70-74% of the 138 students in Dowagiac Union Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 81.8% across Michigan. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMichigan
Four-year graduation rate70‑74%81.8%
Students in the class138115,301

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

4 elementary schools, 866 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Justus Gage Elementary School26215.169.5%Schoolwide program
Patrick Hamilton Elementary22415.477.7%Schoolwide program
Kincheloe Elementary School21414.447.7%Schoolwide program
Sister Lakes Elementary School16613.858.4%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 393 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Dowagiac Middle School39318.562.6%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 high schools, 556 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Union High School50718.354.2%Eligible, no program
Pathfinders Alternative Ed4920.475.5%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Dowagiac Union Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Dowagiac Union Schools

  1. Michigan districts by spending per studentDowagiac Union Schools ranks 89 of 347 Michigan districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,351).#89 of 347
  2. Every school district in MichiganDowagiac Union Schools is the number 211 by size of 892 Michigan districts, with 1,900 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#211 of 892
  3. Westwood Heights SchoolsThe next larger Michigan district: 1,907 students in fall 2022, $13,854 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,854
  4. Oakridge Public SchoolsThe next smaller Michigan district: 1,880 students in fall 2022, $13,976 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,976
  5. Compare Dowagiac Union Schools with Westwood Heights SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Union High School, its largest high school507 students in 2024-25, 18.3 per teacher.507
  7. Teacher salary spending across MichiganDowagiac Union Schools spent $60,446 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,387); spending, not a salary.$60,446
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Dowagiac Union Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Dowagiac Union Schools?
    7 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 1,815 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Dowagiac Union Schools spend per student?
    $15,351 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Michigan median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,214 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,458 per student, down 5.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Dowagiac Union Schools' money come from?
    $34,185,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 50.7% state, 31.9% local and 17.4% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Dowagiac Union Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 493 of the 2,195 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 22.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Dowagiac Union Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $6,779,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,568 per student. Divided by the 112 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $60,446 per teacher, more than 40 in 100 Michigan districts (state median $62,387). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Michigan teacher salary at $65,198 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Dowagiac Union Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Dowagiac Union Schools scored proficient or above: 30-34% in reading and 18-22% in math, against 44% in reading and 34% in math across Michigan. Michigan's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Dowagiac Union Schools?
    70-74% of the 138 students in Dowagiac Union Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 81.8% across Michigan. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Dowagiac Union Schools' NCES district ID?
    2612150. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .