Enrollment
55
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hillsdale, MI
Horizon Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261839007796
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 89
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Alternative School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Hillsdale · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 76.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 55
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Alternative School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hillsdale, MI.
School address
District: Hillsdale Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261839007796 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
76.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+41% vs state
What stands out at Horizon Alternative School
Horizon Alternative School is a high-poverty, small high school in Hillsdale, Michigan, enrolling 55 students.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.7% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Michigan schools, with 55 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 101 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 55 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hillsdale Community Schools also operates Gier Elementary School (434 students) and Hillsdale High School (370 students) alongside Horizon Alternative 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 Horizon Alternative School compares
Horizon Alternative School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.7% | ▲ 41% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 55 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
55
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$12,879
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 55 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 87.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Largest group: White at 87.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Horizon Alternative School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsdale Community Schools, which includes Horizon Alternative School.
$12,879
Per student
-5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 62.0%
Federal 16.1%
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 Horizon Alternative School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gier Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Hillsdale High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Davis Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Bailey Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon Alternative School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 34
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Alternative School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsdale 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 Horizon Alternative School
How many students attend Horizon Alternative School?
Horizon Alternative School has 55 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hillsdale, MI.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizon Alternative School?
76.7% of students at Horizon Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Alternative School is White at 87.3% of enrollment, in Hillsdale, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Alternative School?
Horizon Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Horizon Alternative School rank among public schools in Hillsdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Alternative School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hillsdale, 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 Hillsdale on the city page.
Is Horizon Alternative School a good school?
Horizon Alternative School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 Hillsdale Community Schools?
Besides Horizon Alternative School, Hillsdale Community Schools also operates Gier Elementary School (434 students), Hillsdale High School (370 students), and Davis Middle School (366 students). See the Hillsdale 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.