Hillsdale Community Schools operates 5 public schools serving 1,274 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 2 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 1,259 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Hillsdale County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,463 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 22.0% local, 62.0% state, and 16.1% 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 $63,741 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 53/100, ranked #308 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 212.5:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 28.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.4% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian across the district's schools.
Gier Elementary School accounts for 34.5% of all Hillsdale Community Schools student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Hillsdale 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.
Hillsdale Community Schools school enrollment varies 13× across entities
Hillsdale Community Schools school enrollment ranges from 34 students (lowest) to 434 students (highest), a spread of 400 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.
Hillsdale Community Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.9% 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.
Hillsdale Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 213:1 — 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.
Hillsdale Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 28.4% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Hillsdale Community Schools is typically wider than the Hillsdale Community Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Hillsdale Community Schools?
Hillsdale Community Schools has 5 schools, including 2 elementary, 2 high, 1 other. Total enrollment is 1,274 students.
How much does Hillsdale Community Schools spend per student?
Hillsdale Community Schools spends $13,463 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #308 in Michigan.
What is the average teacher salary in Hillsdale Community Schools?
The average teacher salary in Hillsdale Community Schools is $63,741 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Hillsdale Community Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Hillsdale County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Hillsdale Community Schools?
Hillsdale Community Schools students are 87.4% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Hillsdale Community Schools?
Hillsdale Community Schools has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #308 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.