Pontiac City 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.

Pontiac, Michigan - 10 schools

An equity score of 55/100 ranks Pontiac City School District #255 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,463 per pupil, Pontiac City School District ranks #39 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,402
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$21,463
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Pontiac City School District operates 10 public schools serving 3,402 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 3 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Oakland County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,463 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 82 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 55.2% local, 16.3% state, and 28.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #255 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.

a 136.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 71.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.3% African American, 42.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tier Iii Intervention Academy, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.

Its largest campus is Pontiac High School, enrolling 992 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Bethune Adult Education, at 1 students, a 992x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Pontiac High School accounts for 26.3% of all Pontiac City School District student enrollment

That concentration means Pontiac City School District-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

Pontiac City School District school enrollment varies 992× across entities

Pontiac City School District school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 992 students (highest), a spread of 991 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

Pontiac City School District reports 79.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. 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

Pontiac City School District student-counselor ratio is 137:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Pontiac City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 71.6% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

28.5%
Federal
16.3%
State
55.2%
Local

Funding Equity

55
Equity Score
255 / 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 10 schools in Pontiac City School District.

White 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 42.4%
African American 43.3%
Asian 3.6%
Multiracial 3.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Pontiac City School District's schools, above the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tier Iii Intervention Academy 69.3
  2. 2 Rogers School 67.7
  3. 3 Kennedy Center 62.8
  4. 4 Owen Elementary School 60.4
  5. 5 Whitman Elementary School 58.7

Programs & Resources

136.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
71.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Pontiac City School District

School Enrollment
Pontiac High School
992
Pontiac Middle School
790
Whitman Elementary School
611
Owen Elementary School
383
Alcott School
334
Herrington School
319
Rogers School
280
Kennedy Center
57
Tier Iii Intervention Academy
7
Bethune Adult Education
1

How Pontiac City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Dexter Community School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Mt. Pleasant City School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Southgate Community School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Muskegon Public Schools of the City of Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Pontiac City 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.

Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $14,295/pupil
Compare vs Pontiac City School District →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $18,204/pupil
Compare vs Pontiac City School District →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $19,271/pupil
Compare vs Pontiac City School District →

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 Pontiac City 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 Pontiac City School District?

Pontiac City School District has 10 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,402 students.

How much does Pontiac City School District spend per student?

Pontiac City School District spends $21,463 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #255 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Pontiac City School District?

Pontiac City School District students are 43.3% African American, 42.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% White, 3.6% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Pontiac City School District?

Pontiac City School District has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #255 out of 702 districts in Michigan.