West Branch-Rose City Area 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.

West Branch, Michigan - 4 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks West Branch-Rose City Area Schools #245 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,429 per pupil, West Branch-Rose City Area Schools ranks #295 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,871
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,429
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,871 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary 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 Ogemaw County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,429 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 34.1% local, 47.3% state, and 18.6% 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 #245 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 (11 AP courses district-wide), a 481.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 34.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.5% White, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Rose City School, with a diversity index of 21.4/100.

Its largest campus is Ogemaw Heights High School, enrolling 592 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rose City School, at 103 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ogemaw Heights High School accounts for 31.6% of all West Branch-Rose City Area Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means West Branch-Rose City Area 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

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools school enrollment varies 5.7× across entities

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools school enrollment ranges from 103 students (lowest) to 592 students (highest), a spread of 489 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

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 62.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools student-counselor ratio is 482:1 — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 34.0% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.6%
Federal
47.3%
State
34.1%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
245 / 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 West Branch-Rose City Area Schools.

White 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Multiracial 3.5%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 16.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across West Branch-Rose City Area Schools's schools, below the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Rose City School 21.4
  2. 2 Ogemaw Heights High School 15.7
  3. 3 Surline Elementary School 14.6
  4. 4 Surline Middle School 12.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
481.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in West Branch-Rose City Area Schools

School Enrollment
Ogemaw Heights High School
592
Surline Middle School
580
Surline Elementary School
569
Rose City School
103

How West Branch-Rose City Area Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Alma Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Croswell-Lexington Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Oakridge Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Williamston Community Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Dowagiac Union School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to West Branch-Rose City Area 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.

Compare West Branch-Rose City Area Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in West Branch-Rose City Area Schools?

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,871 students.

How much does West Branch-Rose City Area Schools spend per student?

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools spends $13,429 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #245 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of West Branch-Rose City Area Schools?

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools students are 91.5% White, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for West Branch-Rose City Area Schools?

West Branch-Rose City Area Schools has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #245 out of 707 districts in Michigan.