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

Niles, Michigan - 11 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Niles Community Schools #351 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,291 per pupil, Niles Community Schools ranks #542 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,303
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$13,291
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Niles Community Schools operates 11 public schools serving 3,303 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 3 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Berrien County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,291 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 19.6% local, 69.2% state, and 11.2% 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 49/100, ranked #351 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 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 367.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.1% White, 10.1% African American, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ballard Elementary School, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.

Its largest campus is Niles Senior High School, enrolling 828 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Northside Child Development Center, at 13 students, a 64x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Niles Senior High School accounts for 25.1% of all Niles Community Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Niles Community Schools-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

Niles Community Schools school enrollment varies 64× across entities

Niles Community Schools school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 828 students (highest), a spread of 815 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Niles Community Schools reports 56.8% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. 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

Niles Community Schools student-counselor ratio is 368:1 — 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

Niles Community Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 32.8% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

11.2%
Federal
69.2%
State
19.6%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
351 / 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 11 schools in Niles Community Schools.

White 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
African American 10.1%
Multiracial 10.8%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 46.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Niles Community Schools's schools, above the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Ballard Elementary School 58.7
  2. 2 Howardellis Elementary School 55.2
  3. 3 Eastside Connections School 55.2
  4. 4 Niles Comm Schools Adult Education 55.2
  5. 5 Niles Cedar Lane 54.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
367.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
32.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Niles Community Schools

School Enrollment
Niles Senior High School
828
Howardellis Elementary School
529
Ballard Elementary School
516
Ring Lardner Middle School
510
Eastside Connections School
403
Niles Cedar Lane
134
Way Niles
95
Southside Special Educ School
37
Niles Comm Schools Adult Education
24
Niles Virtual School
18
Northside Child Development Center
13

How Niles Community Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Kent Isd Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Mason Public Schools (Ingham) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gull Lake Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Muskegon Public Schools of the City of Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Lake Shore Public Schools (Macomb) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Niles Community 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 · $14,295/pupil
Compare vs Niles Community Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $18,204/pupil
Compare vs Niles Community Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $19,271/pupil
Compare vs Niles Community Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $14,974/pupil
Compare vs Niles Community Schools →

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 Niles Community 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 Niles Community Schools?

Niles Community Schools has 11 schools, including 3 high, 2 elementary, 5 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 3,303 students.

How much does Niles Community Schools spend per student?

Niles Community Schools spends $13,291 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #351 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Niles Community Schools?

Niles Community Schools students are 70.1% White, 10.1% African American, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Niles Community Schools?

Niles Community Schools has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #351 out of 702 districts in Michigan.