Enrollment
1,081
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Birmingham, MI
Ernest W Seaholm High School
Federal NCES profile for Ernest W Seaholm High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260585004217
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ernest W Seaholm High School earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Birmingham · Resource Index
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 7.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ernest W Seaholm High School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest W Seaholm High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Birmingham, MI.
School address
District: Birmingham Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260585004217 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ernest W Seaholm High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ernest W Seaholm High School
Ernest W Seaholm High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Birmingham, Michigan, enrolling 1,081 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.6% free-meal eligibility runs 86% below the Michigan average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,081 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 90 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 27 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 180 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Birmingham Public Schools spends $19,274 per pupil, 43% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Birmingham Public Schools also operates Wylie E Groves High School (1,108 students) and Berkshire Middle School (695 students) alongside Ernest W Seaholm High School.
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 Ernest W Seaholm High School compares
Ernest W Seaholm High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.6% | ▼ 86% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,081 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,081
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 18% in Michigan - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,274
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 180 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 83.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
Asian 3.0%
African American 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 83.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.4, Ernest W Seaholm High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 27
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Birmingham Public Schools, which includes Ernest W Seaholm High School.
$19,274
Per student
+43%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.8%
State 37.5%
Federal 6.6%
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 Ernest W Seaholm High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wylie E Groves High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berkshire Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Birmingham Covington School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Derby Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pierce Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ernest W Seaholm High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,108
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 556
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~1,081 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ernest W Seaholm High School's federal record.
- Compare Ernest W Seaholm High School against another school. Compare schools
- Birmingham 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 Ernest W Seaholm High School
How many students attend Ernest W Seaholm High School?
Ernest W Seaholm High School has 1,081 students enrolled. It is a high school in Birmingham, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ernest W Seaholm High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ernest W Seaholm High School is 13.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ernest W Seaholm High School?
7.6% of students at Ernest W Seaholm High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ernest W Seaholm High School?
The largest demographic group at Ernest W Seaholm High School is White at 83.6% of enrollment, in Birmingham, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ernest W Seaholm High School?
Ernest W Seaholm High School has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ernest W Seaholm High School rank among public schools in Birmingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest W Seaholm High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Birmingham, 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 Birmingham on the city page.
Is Ernest W Seaholm High School a good school?
Ernest W Seaholm High School earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest 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 Birmingham Public Schools?
Besides Ernest W Seaholm High School, Birmingham Public Schools also operates Wylie E Groves High School (1,108 students), Berkshire Middle School (695 students), and Birmingham Covington School (643 students). See the Birmingham 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.