Kearsley Community School District

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Flint, Michigan - 6 schools

An equity score of 57/100 ranks Kearsley Community School District #227 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,665 per pupil, Kearsley Community School District ranks #480 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,843
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$13,665
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Kearsley Community School District operates 6 public schools serving 2,843 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 2 combined, 2 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 Genesee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,665 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 16.5% local, 69.1% state, and 14.4% 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 57/100, ranked #227 of 702 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 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 364.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 56.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.5% White, 14.5% African American, 9.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Kate Dowdall Elementary School, with a diversity index of 53.8/100.

Its largest campus is Kearsley High School, enrolling 836 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Kearsley Virtual Academy, at 83 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Kearsley High School accounts for 29.4% of all Kearsley Community School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Kearsley Community School District-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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Kearsley Community School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities

Kearsley Community School District school enrollment ranges from 83 students (lowest) to 836 students (highest), a spread of 753 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Kearsley Community School District reports 75.5% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Kearsley Community School District student-counselor ratio is 365:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Kearsley Community School District chronic absenteeism rate is 56.0% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

14.4%
Federal
69.1%
State
16.5%
Local

Funding Equity

57
Equity Score
227 / 702
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 6 schools in Kearsley Community School District.

White 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
African American 14.5%
Multiracial 7.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 50.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Kearsley Community School District's schools, above the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Kate Dowdall Elementary School 53.8
  2. 2 Kearsley High School 52.8
  3. 3 Weston Elementary School 51.6
  4. 4 Leota Fiedler Elementary School 51.5
  5. 5 Kearsley Virtual Academy 48.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
364.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
56.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Kearsley Community School District

School Enrollment
Kearsley High School
836
Armstrong Middle School
656
Leota Fiedler Elementary School
431
Kate Dowdall Elementary School
405
Weston Elementary School
380
Kearsley Virtual Academy
83

How Kearsley Community School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Flint School District of the City of Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Wayland Union Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Holland City School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Ionia Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Riverview Community School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Kearsley Community School District'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.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Kearsley Community School District

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 Kearsley Community School District?

Kearsley Community School District has 6 schools, including 2 high, 2 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,843 students.

How much does Kearsley Community School District spend per student?

Kearsley Community School District spends $13,665 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #227 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Kearsley Community School District?

Kearsley Community School District students are 67.5% White, 14.5% African American, 9.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Kearsley Community School District?

Kearsley Community School District has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #227 out of 702 districts in Michigan.