Onaway Area 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.

Onaway, Michigan - 3 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks Onaway Area Community School District #253 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,715 per pupil, Onaway Area Community School District ranks #198 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

541
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,715
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Onaway Area Community School District operates 3 public schools serving 541 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Presque Isle County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,715 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 45.5% local, 37.6% state, and 17.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 56/100, ranked #253 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.

and 36.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.7% White, 2.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Onaway Elementary School, with a diversity index of 15.2/100.

Its largest campus is Onaway Elementary School, enrolling 246 students (48% of the district's total enrollment).

Onaway Elementary School accounts for 45.5% of all Onaway Area Community School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Onaway Area Community School District a distant remainder — means Onaway Area Community School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Onaway Area Community School District school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities

Onaway Area Community School District school enrollment ranges from 106 students (lowest) to 246 students (highest), a spread of 140 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

Onaway Area Community School District reports 55.9% 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

Onaway Area Community School District chronic absenteeism rate is 36.7% — 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?

17.0%
Federal
37.6%
State
45.5%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
253 / 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 3 schools in Onaway Area Community School District.

White 93.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Multiracial 3.4%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 11.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Onaway Area Community School District's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Onaway Elementary School 15.2
  2. 2 Onaway Senior High School 13.1
  3. 3 Onaway Middle School 7.4

Programs & Resources

36.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Onaway Area Community School District

School Enrollment
Onaway Elementary School
246
Onaway Senior High School
159
Onaway Middle School
106

How Onaway Area Community School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Madison Academy Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Climax-Scotts Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Kaleva Norman Dickson School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Deckerville Community School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
New Buffalo Area Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Onaway Area 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 Onaway Area 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 Onaway Area Community School District?

Onaway Area Community School District has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 541 students.

How much does Onaway Area Community School District spend per student?

Onaway Area Community School District spends $15,715 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #253 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Onaway Area Community School District?

Onaway Area Community School District students are 93.7% White, 2.2% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Onaway Area Community School District?

Onaway Area Community School District has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #253 out of 702 districts in Michigan.