Harper Woods the School District of the City of

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.

Harper Woods, Michigan - 5 schools

An equity score of 53/100 ranks Harper Woods the School District of the City of #293 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,845 per pupil, Harper Woods the School District of the City of ranks #396 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,581
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$12,845
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Harper Woods the School District of the City of operates 5 public schools serving 2,581 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary 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 Wayne County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,845 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 16.4% local, 74.9% state, and 8.7% 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 53/100, ranked #293 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 286.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 76.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.1% African American, 8.7% White, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Harper Woods Virtual Academy, with a diversity index of 52.4/100.

Its largest campus is Harper Woods Virtual Academy, enrolling 1,029 students (35% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Tyrone Elementary School, at 336 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Harper Woods Virtual Academy accounts for 34.7% of all Harper Woods the School District of the City of student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Harper Woods the School District of the City of-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

Harper Woods the School District of the City of school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities

Harper Woods the School District of the City of school enrollment ranges from 336 students (lowest) to 1,029 students (highest), a spread of 693 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

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

Harper Woods the School District of the City of has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 79.7% 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 — including this one — 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.

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

Harper Woods the School District of the City of student-counselor ratio is 286:1 — 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 Harper Woods the School District of the City of is typically wider than the Harper Woods the School District of the City of-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Harper Woods the School District of the City of chronic absenteeism rate is 76.1% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.7%
Federal
74.9%
State
16.4%
Local

Funding Equity

53
Equity Score
293 / 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 5 schools in Harper Woods the School District of the City of.

White 8.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
African American 88.1%
Multiracial 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 17.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Harper Woods the School District of the City of's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Harper Woods Virtual Academy 52.4
  2. 2 Harper Woods Middle School 11.3
  3. 3 Beacon Elementary School 11.0
  4. 4 Tyrone Elementary School 7.6
  5. 5 Harper Woods High School 5.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
12 AP courses total
286.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
76.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Harper Woods the School District of the City of

School Enrollment
Harper Woods Virtual Academy
1,029
Harper Woods High School
877
Beacon Elementary School
368
Harper Woods Middle School
353
Tyrone Elementary School
336

How Harper Woods the School District of the City of Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Center Line Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Vicksburg Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Fowlerville Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Haslett Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Tecumseh Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Harper Woods the School District of the City of'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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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Harper Woods the School District of the City of?

Harper Woods the School District of the City of has 5 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,581 students.

How much does Harper Woods the School District of the City of spend per student?

Harper Woods the School District of the City of spends $12,845 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #293 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Harper Woods the School District of the City of?

Harper Woods the School District of the City of students are 88.1% African American, 8.7% White, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Harper Woods the School District of the City of?

Harper Woods the School District of the City of has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #293 out of 707 districts in Michigan.