Hale Area Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Hale, Michigan - 1 schools

An equity score of 58/100 ranks Hale Area Schools #228 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,108 per pupil, Hale Area Schools ranks #201 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

343
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$14,108
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Hale Area Schools operates 1 public schools serving 343 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 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 Iosco County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,108 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 68.1% local, 11.1% state, and 20.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 58/100, ranked #228 of 707 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 347:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.5% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Hale Area School, enrolling 347 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Hale Area School accounts for 100.0% of all Hale Area Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Hale Area Schools a distant remainder — means Hale Area Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hale Area Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.6% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Hale Area Schools student-counselor ratio is 347:1 — 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 Hale Area Schools is typically wider than the Hale Area Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Hale Area Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 32.6% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

20.8%
Federal
11.1%
State
68.1%
Local

Funding Equity

58
Equity Score
228 / 707
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Hale Area Schools.

White 92.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Multiracial 2.9%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

347:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
32.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Hale Area Schools

School Enrollment
Hale Area School
347

How Hale Area Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Lighthouse Academy Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Sanilac Isd Similar size No spending data Less locally funded
River City Scholars Charter Academy Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Akron-Fairgrove Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
William C. Abney Academy Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Hale Area Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Michigan

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Detroit Public Schools Community District
48,548 students · 107 schools · $21,771/pupil
Compare vs Hale Area Schools →
Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $12,513/pupil
Compare vs Hale Area Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Hale Area Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Hale Area Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $13,630/pupil
Compare vs Hale Area Schools →

Compare Hale Area Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Hale Area Schools?

Hale Area Schools has 1 school, including 1 combined. Total enrollment is 343 students.

How much does Hale Area Schools spend per student?

Hale Area Schools spends $14,108 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #228 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Hale Area Schools?

Hale Area Schools students are 92.5% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Hale Area Schools?

Hale Area Schools has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #228 out of 707 districts in Michigan.