Forest Area Community Schools operates 3 public schools serving 515 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 493 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Kalkaska County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,869 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 24.2% local, 56.4% state, and 19.4% 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 $61,140 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 62/100, ranked #182 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 132.2:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 57.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.6% White, 2.6% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Forest Area Middle School accounts for 39.1% of all Forest Area Community Schools student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Forest Area Community Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Forest Area Community Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 58.2% 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.
Forest Area Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 132:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Forest Area Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 57.1% — 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 Forest Area Community Schools?
Forest Area Community Schools has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 other. Total enrollment is 515 students.
How much does Forest Area Community Schools spend per student?
Forest Area Community Schools spends $15,869 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #182 in Michigan.
What is the average teacher salary in Forest Area Community Schools?
The average teacher salary in Forest Area Community Schools is $61,140 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Forest Area Community Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Kalkaska County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Forest Area Community Schools?
Forest Area Community Schools students are 85.6% White, 2.6% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Forest Area Community Schools?
Forest Area Community Schools has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #182 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.