Enrollment
16
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cassopolis, MI
Cassopolis Alternative Ed
Federal NCES profile for Cassopolis Alternative Ed, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260843000809
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 97
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cassopolis Alternative Ed earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Michigan.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Cassopolis · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 69.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 16
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Cassopolis Alternative Ed ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cassopolis, MI.
School address
District: Cassopolis Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260843000809 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
69.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+27% vs state
What stands out at Cassopolis Alternative Ed
Cassopolis Alternative Ed is a higher-need, small high school in Cassopolis, Michigan, enrolling 16 students.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Michigan schools, with 16 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 38 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #21.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Two or More (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 16 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 87.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cassopolis's high schools, it stands alongside Cassopolis High School (281 students): Cassopolis Alternative Ed is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Cassopolis Public Schools also operates Sam Adams Elementary School (368 students) and Cassopolis High School (281 students) alongside Cassopolis Alternative Ed.
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 Cassopolis Alternative Ed compares
Cassopolis Alternative Ed on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.2% | ▲ 27% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 16 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
87.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,274
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 16 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 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 50.0%
Two or More 37.5%
African American 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Cassopolis Alternative Ed is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cassopolis Public Schools, which includes Cassopolis Alternative Ed.
$13,274
Per student
-2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.9%
State 30.4%
Federal 13.7%
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 Cassopolis Alternative Ed Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Adams Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Cassopolis High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Cassopolis Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Cassopolis Alternative Ed's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 281
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Cassopolis
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cassopolis Alternative Ed's federal record.
- Compare Cassopolis Alternative Ed against another school. Compare schools
- Cassopolis Public 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 Cassopolis Alternative Ed
How many students attend Cassopolis Alternative Ed?
Cassopolis Alternative Ed has 16 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cassopolis, MI.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cassopolis Alternative Ed?
69.2% of students at Cassopolis Alternative Ed are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cassopolis Alternative Ed?
The largest demographic group at Cassopolis Alternative Ed is White at 50.0% of enrollment, in Cassopolis, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cassopolis Alternative Ed?
Cassopolis Alternative Ed has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cassopolis Alternative Ed rank among public schools in Cassopolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Cassopolis Alternative Ed ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cassopolis, 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 Cassopolis on the city page.
Is Cassopolis Alternative Ed a good school?
Cassopolis Alternative Ed earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Michigan. 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 Cassopolis Public Schools?
Besides Cassopolis Alternative Ed, Cassopolis Public Schools also operates Sam Adams Elementary School (368 students), Cassopolis High School (281 students), and Cassopolis Middle School (188 students). See the Cassopolis Public 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.