An equity score of 59/100 ranks Dowagiac Union School District #200 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,351 per pupil, Dowagiac Union School District ranks #238 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,900
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$15,351
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dowagiac Union School District operates 7 public schools serving 1,900 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Cass County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,351 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.6% local, 45.7% state, and 21.7% 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 59/100, ranked #200 of 702 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 410.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Patrick Hamilton Elementary, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.
Its largest campus is Union High School, enrolling 507 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pathfinders Alternative Ed, at 49 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Union High School accounts for 26.7% of all Dowagiac Union School District student enrollment
That concentration means Dowagiac Union School District-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.
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 reports 65.9% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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.
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.
Comparisons are relative to Dowagiac Union School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Michigan
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How many schools are in Dowagiac Union School District?
Dowagiac Union School District has 7 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,900 students.
How much does Dowagiac Union School District spend per student?
Dowagiac Union School District spends $15,351 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #200 in Michigan.
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 59/100, ranking #200 out of 702 districts in Michigan.