Enrollment
59
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benton Harbor, MI
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260483007861
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 59:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 94.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center has class sizes larger than 99% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center ranks #4 of 5 schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Benton Harbor Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260483007861 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
59:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+237% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 59 students.
Class loads run heavy: 59:1 is larger than about 99% of Michigan schools and 237% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 94.2% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Michigan schools, with 59 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 50 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #41, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
The surrounding Benton Harbor Area Schools spends $16,532 per pupil, 22% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Benton Harbor's public schools, it stands alongside Discovery Enrichment Center (80 students): Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (59:1 vs 8:1).
Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students) and Fair Plain Middle School (240 students) alongside Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center.
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 Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center compares
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 59:1 | ▲ 237% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.2% | ▲ 73% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 59 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
59:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
59
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
59:1
students per teacher
- 237% above state mean
Top 99% in Michigan - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$16,532
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
- 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
African American 84.7%
White 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.1%
Largest group: African American at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.5, Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton Harbor Area Schools, which includes Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center.
$16,532
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 29.7%
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.
How Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain East Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Discovery Enrichment Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 33.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 150
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Benton Harbor
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~59 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center's federal record.
- Compare Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center against another school. Compare schools
- Benton Harbor Area 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 Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center
How many students attend Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center?
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center has 59 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center is 59:1, which is 237% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 276% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center?
94.2% of students at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center is African American at 84.7% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center?
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center rank among schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center ranks #4 of 5 schools in Benton Harbor, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center a good school?
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Besides Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center, Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Benton Harbor High School (469 students), Fair Plain Middle School (240 students), and Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students). See the Benton Harbor Area 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.