Enrollment
49
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carleton, MI
Airport Center for Education
Federal NCES profile for Airport Center for Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260198008428
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Airport Center for Education earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Carleton · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Airport Center for Education has class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Airport Center for Education ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Carleton, MI.
School address
District: Airport Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260198008428 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Airport Center for Education compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Airport Center for Education
Airport Center for Education is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Carleton, Michigan, enrolling 49 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Michigan schools and 40% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.1% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Michigan schools, with 49 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 97 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #29.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 16 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 41 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 49 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students) and Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students) alongside Airport Center for Education.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Airport Center for Education compares
Airport Center for Education on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.5:1 | ▲ 40% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 22% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 49 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
49
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 93% in Michigan - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$12,155
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 16 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 83.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 81.6%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 6.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
Largest group: White at 81.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Airport Center for Education is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Airport Community Schools, which includes Airport Center for Education.
$12,155
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 62.9%
Federal 11.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Airport Center for Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wagar 78 Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joseph C Sterling Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Loren Eyler Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fred W Ritter Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Airport Center for Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 29.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~49 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Airport Center for Education's federal record.
- Compare Airport Center for Education against another school. Compare schools
- Airport Community Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Airport Center for Education
How many students attend Airport Center for Education?
Airport Center for Education has 49 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Carleton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Airport Center for Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Airport Center for Education is 24.5:1, which is 40% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Airport Center for Education?
66.1% of students at Airport Center for Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Airport Center for Education?
The largest demographic group at Airport Center for Education is White at 81.6% of enrollment, in Carleton, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Airport Center for Education?
Airport Center for Education has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Airport Center for Education rank among public schools in Carleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Airport Center for Education ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Carleton, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carleton on the city page.
Is Airport Center for Education a good school?
Airport Center for Education earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Airport Community Schools?
Besides Airport Center for Education, Airport Community Schools also operates Airport Senior High School (760 students), Wagar 78 Middle School (641 students), and Joseph C Sterling Elementary School (370 students). See the Airport Community Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.