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.
Sanford, Michigan - 3 schools
An equity score of 46/100 ranks Meridian Public Schools #399 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,255 per pupil, Meridian Public Schools ranks #317 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,347
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,255
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Meridian Public Schools operates 3 public schools serving 1,347 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high 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 Midland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,255 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 30.9% local, 57.4% state, and 11.7% 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 46/100, ranked #399 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.
a 1210.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 34.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.1% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Meridian Elementary School, with a diversity index of 15.8/100.
Its largest campus is Meridian Elementary School, enrolling 537 students (39% of the district's total enrollment).
Meridian Elementary School accounts for 39.1% of all Meridian Public Schools student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Meridian Public 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.
Meridian Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 1211:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
Meridian Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 34.0% — 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.
Meridian Public Schools has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,347 students.
How much does Meridian Public Schools spend per student?
Meridian Public Schools spends $13,255 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #399 in Michigan.
What is the demographic composition of Meridian Public Schools?
Meridian Public Schools students are 92.1% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Meridian Public Schools?
Meridian Public Schools has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #399 out of 707 districts in Michigan.