Spring Lake 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.

Spring Lake, Michigan - 6 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Spring Lake Public Schools #489 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,226 per pupil, Spring Lake Public Schools ranks #322 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,331
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$13,226
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Spring Lake Public Schools operates 6 public schools serving 2,331 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 2 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 Ottawa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,226 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 40.1% local, 54.8% state, and 5.1% 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 41/100, ranked #489 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 556:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 11.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.0% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Spring Lake Alternative Education, with a diversity index of 26.1/100.

Its largest campus is Spring Lake High School, enrolling 795 students (35% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Spring Lake Alternative Education, at 13 students, a 61x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Spring Lake High School accounts for 34.1% of all Spring Lake Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Spring Lake Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Spring Lake Public Schools school enrollment varies 61× across entities

Spring Lake Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 795 students (highest), a spread of 782 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Spring Lake Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 556:1 — 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.

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

Spring Lake Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 11.7% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

5.1%
Federal
54.8%
State
40.1%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
489 / 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 6 schools in Spring Lake Public Schools.

White 89.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Asian 1.2%
Multiracial 5.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 20.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Spring Lake Alternative Education 26.1
  2. 2 Holmes Elementary School 22.3
  3. 3 Jeffers Elementary School 20.9
  4. 4 Spring Lake Intermediate School 18.7
  5. 5 Spring Lake High School 16.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
14 AP courses total
556:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
11.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Spring Lake Public Schools

School Enrollment
Spring Lake High School
795
Holmes Elementary School
409
Jeffers Elementary School
379
Spring Lake Middle School
345
Spring Lake Intermediate School
330
Spring Lake Alternative Education
13

How Spring Lake Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Three Rivers Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lamphere Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Oakland Schools Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Chelsea School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Spring Lake 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 Spring Lake Public Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Spring Lake Public Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Spring Lake Public Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $13,630/pupil
Compare vs Spring Lake Public Schools →

Compare Spring Lake 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 Spring Lake Public Schools?

Spring Lake Public Schools has 6 schools, including 2 high, 3 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,331 students.

How much does Spring Lake Public Schools spend per student?

Spring Lake Public Schools spends $13,226 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #489 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Spring Lake Public Schools?

Spring Lake Public Schools students are 89.0% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Spring Lake Public Schools?

Spring Lake Public Schools has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #489 out of 707 districts in Michigan.