An equity score of 74/100 ranks Garden City Public Schools #44 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $20,375 per pupil, Garden City Public Schools ranks #54 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,228
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$20,375
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Garden City Public Schools operates 8 public schools serving 3,228 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high, 2 combined, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wayne County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,375 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 82 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 34.1% local, 56.4% state, and 9.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 74/100, ranked #44 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 285.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 47.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.2% White, 16.2% African American, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Cambridge Alternative High School, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
Its largest campus is Garden City High School, enrolling 896 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Burger Development Center, at 108 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Garden City High School accounts for 27.8% of all Garden City Public Schools student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Garden City Public Schools-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.
Garden City Public Schools school enrollment varies 8.3× across entities
Garden City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 108 students (lowest) to 896 students (highest), a spread of 788 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.
Garden City Public Schools reports 53.7% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. 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.
Garden City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 285:1 — 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 Garden City Public Schools is typically wider than the Garden City Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Garden City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 47.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
How many schools are in Garden City Public Schools?
Garden City Public Schools has 8 schools, including 2 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 3,228 students.
How much does Garden City Public Schools spend per student?
Garden City Public Schools spends $20,375 per student. The district has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #44 in Michigan.
What is the demographic composition of Garden City Public Schools?
Garden City Public Schools students are 70.2% White, 16.2% African American, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Garden City Public Schools?
Garden City Public Schools has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #44 out of 702 districts in Michigan.