Lawton Community School District

LAWTON, Michigan — 4 schools

1,050
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,278
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lawton Community School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,050 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 other, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,027 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Van Buren County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,278 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 27.6% local, 57.7% state, and 14.7% 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 $59,747 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 40/100, ranked #545 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 574.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.0% White, 17.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools.

Lawton Elementary School accounts for 38.7% of all Lawton Community School District student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lawton Community School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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

Lawton Community School District school enrollment varies 15× across entities

Lawton Community School District school enrollment ranges from 26 students (lowest) to 397 students (highest), a spread of 371 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Lawton Community School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.5% 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.

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

Lawton Community School District student-counselor ratio is 574:1 — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Lawton Community School District chronic absenteeism rate is 45.1% — 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?

14.7%
Federal
57.7%
State
27.6%
Local

Funding Equity

40
Equity Score
545 / 756
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Van Buren County county, where this district is located.

$701
Studio/mo
$774
1 BR/mo
$1,016
2 BR/mo
$1,338
3 BR/mo
$1,396
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$59,747
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Lawton Community School District.

White 76.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
Multiracial 6.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
574.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lawton Community School District

School Enrollment
Lawton Elementary School
397
Lawton Middle School
325
Lawton High School
279
Lawton Accelerated Academic Center
26

Nearby Districts in Michigan

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lawton Community School District?

Lawton Community School District has 4 schools, including 3 other, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,050 students.

How much does Lawton Community School District spend per student?

Lawton Community School District spends $13,278 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #545 in Michigan.

What is the average teacher salary in Lawton Community School District?

The average teacher salary in Lawton Community School District is $59,747 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Lawton Community School District?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Van Buren County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Lawton Community School District?

Lawton Community School District students are 76.0% White, 17.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lawton Community School District?

Lawton Community School District has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #545 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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