Enrollment
103
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houghton Lake, MI
Houghton Lake Community Education
Federal NCES profile for Houghton Lake Community Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261860001615
👥 S:T ratio 88
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houghton Lake Community Education earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Houghton Lake · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 3.1:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 78.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Houghton Lake Community Education has class sizes smaller than 99% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Lake Community Education ranks #1 of 3 schools in Houghton Lake, MI.
School address
District: Houghton Lake Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261860001615 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-82% 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
What stands out at Houghton Lake Community Education
Houghton Lake Community Education is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Houghton Lake, Michigan, enrolling 103 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.1:1, Houghton Lake Community Education is leaner than roughly 99% of Michigan schools and 82% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 103 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Houghton Lake Community Schools also operates Collins Elementary School (489 students) and Houghton Lake Jrsr High School (484 students) alongside Houghton Lake Community Education.
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 Houghton Lake Community Education compares
Houghton Lake Community Education on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.1:1 | ▼ 82% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.9% | ▲ 45% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 103 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.1:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
103
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
3.1:1
students per teacher
- 82% below state mean
Top 1% in Michigan - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
77.7%
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
$12,223
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 12.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.9, Houghton Lake Community Education is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houghton Lake Community Schools, which includes Houghton Lake Community Education.
$12,223
Per student
-10%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Houghton Lake Community Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collins Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Houghton Lake Jrsr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houghton Lake Community Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~103 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houghton Lake Community Education's federal record.
- Compare Houghton Lake Community Education against another school. Compare schools
- Houghton Lake 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 Houghton Lake Community Education
How many students attend Houghton Lake Community Education?
Houghton Lake Community Education has 103 students enrolled. It is an alternative 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 3.1:1, which is 82% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 80% 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 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% of enrollment, 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 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Houghton Lake Community Education rank among schools in Houghton Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Lake Community Education ranks #1 of 3 schools in Houghton Lake, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Houghton Lake on the city page.
Is Houghton Lake Community Education a good school?
Houghton Lake Community Education earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Houghton Lake Community Schools?
Besides Houghton Lake Community Education, Houghton Lake Community Schools also operates Collins Elementary School (489 students) and Houghton Lake Jrsr High School (484 students). See the Houghton Lake 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.