Enrollment
103
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261860001615
Houghton Lake Community Education — Houghton Lake, MI
Federal NCES profile for Houghton Lake Community Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 88
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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: Houghton Lake Community Schools · 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)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-84% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houghton Lake Community Education 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
Houghton Lake Community Education reports 103 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 2.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 84% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 82% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 78.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 45% above the Michigan average and 52% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 77.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Houghton Lake Community Schools spends $12,646 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 57.2% from local sources (property taxes), 23.4% from the state, and 19.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Houghton Lake Community Education 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 | 2.9:1 | ▼ 84% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.9% | ▲ 45% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 103 | top 14% | — | — |
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
78.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 45% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
2.9:1
students per teacher
— 84% below state mean
Top 1% in Michigan — lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
77.7%
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
$12,646
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 103 Top 14% in Michigan — larger than 86% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 2.9:1 -84% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 78.9% +45% vs state
NCES ID 261860001615
Student demographics
White 93.2%
Two or More 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 93.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 77.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houghton Lake Community Schools, which includes Houghton Lake Community Education.
$12,646
Per student
-20%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.4%
Federal 19.3%
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
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar other schools in Houghton Lake
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Houghton Lake Community Education
How many students attend Houghton Lake Community Education?
Houghton Lake Community Education has 103 students enrolled. It is a other school in HOUGHTON LAKE, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houghton Lake Community Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Houghton Lake Community Education is 2.9:1, which is 84% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 82% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houghton Lake Community Education?
78.9% of students at Houghton Lake Community Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houghton Lake Community Education?
The largest demographic group at Houghton Lake Community Education is White at 93.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in HOUGHTON LAKE, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houghton Lake Community Education?
Houghton Lake Community Education has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.