Enrollment
1,009
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 260426004113
Bay City Western High School — Auburn, MI
Federal NCES profile for Bay City Western High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 8
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 6
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Bay City School District · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bay City Western High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Bay City Western High School reports 1,009 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 23:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 45% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 26.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 52% below the Michigan average and 50% below the national baseline. The school offers 11 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 336 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Bay City School District spends $15,225 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.2% from local sources (property taxes), 61.2% from the state, and 18.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bay City Western High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23:1 | ▲ 26% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 52% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,009 | top 96% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 52% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23:1
students per teacher
— 26% above state mean
Top 92% in Michigan — lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
37.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,225
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 336 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,009 Top 96% in Michigan — larger than 4% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 23:1 +26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 26.0% -52% vs state
NCES ID 260426004113
Student demographics
White 89.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 336:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay City School District, which includes Bay City Western High School.
$15,225
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 20.2%
State 61.2%
Federal 18.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Bay City Western High School
How many students attend Bay City Western High School?
Bay City Western High School has 1,009 students enrolled. It is a high school in AUBURN, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bay City Western High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bay City Western High School is 23:1, which is 26% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bay City Western High School?
26.0% of students at Bay City Western High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bay City Western High School?
The largest demographic group at Bay City Western High School is White at 89.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in AUBURN, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bay City Western High School?
Bay City Western High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.