Montague Area Public Schools

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.

Montague, Michigan - 4 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks Montague Area Public Schools #246 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,559 per pupil, Montague Area Public Schools ranks #271 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,353
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,559
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Montague Area Public Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,353 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Muskegon County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,559 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 36.6% local, 50.5% state, and 12.9% 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 56/100, ranked #246 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 317.5:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.1% White, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Montague Area Childhood Center, with a diversity index of 25.4/100.

Its largest campus is Oehrli Elementary School, enrolling 436 students (35% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Montague Area Childhood Center, at 85 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Oehrli Elementary School accounts for 32.2% of all Montague Area Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Montague Area Public 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.

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

Montague Area Public Schools school enrollment varies 5.1× across entities

Montague Area Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 85 students (lowest) to 436 students (highest), a spread of 351 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

Montague Area Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 318:1 — 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 Montague Area Public Schools is typically wider than the Montague Area Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Montague Area Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 43.4% — 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?

12.9%
Federal
50.5%
State
36.6%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
246 / 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 4 schools in Montague Area Public Schools.

White 88.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
African American 0.9%
Multiracial 2.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 21.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Montague Area Public Schools's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Montague Area Childhood Center 25.4
  2. 2 Oehrli Elementary School 22.9
  3. 3 Nellie B Chisholm Middle School 19.2
  4. 4 Montague High School 18.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
317.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Montague Area Public Schools

School Enrollment
Oehrli Elementary School
436
Montague High School
419
Nellie B Chisholm Middle School
307
Montague Area Childhood Center
85

How Montague Area Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Jefferson Schools (Monroe) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Public Schools of Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Meridian Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ovid-Elsie Area Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Algonac Community School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Montague Area Public Schools'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.

Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $12,513/pupil
Compare vs Montague Area Public Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Montague Area Public Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Montague Area Public Schools →

Compare Montague Area Public Schools

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 Montague Area Public Schools?

Montague Area Public Schools has 4 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,353 students.

How much does Montague Area Public Schools spend per student?

Montague Area Public Schools spends $13,559 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #246 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Montague Area Public Schools?

Montague Area Public Schools students are 88.1% White, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Montague Area Public Schools?

Montague Area Public Schools has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #246 out of 707 districts in Michigan.