Enrollment
3,934
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Manistee, MI
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260107008516Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Manistee · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy has class sizes larger than 86% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in Manistee, MI.
School address
District: Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260107008516 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
187.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in Manistee, Michigan, enrolling 3,934 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21:1 is larger than about 86% of Michigan schools and 20% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,934 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 984 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy spends $9,821 per pupil, 27% below the Michigan average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Manistee's public schools, it stands alongside Manistee Isd Center Programs (46 students): Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21:1 vs 6.6:1).
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is a single-school charter district, so Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 3,934 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in Michigan, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone charter.
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 Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy compares
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 34% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,934 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
3,934
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
21:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in Michigan - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$9,821
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 984 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 52.7%
African American 25.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 52.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, which includes Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy.
$9,821
Per student
-27%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.8%
State 87.2%
Federal 10.9%
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.
Similar other schools in Manistee
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~3,934 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy'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 Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy
How many students attend Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy has 3,934 students enrolled. It is a public school in Manistee, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is 21:1, which is 20% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
72.6% of students at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is White at 52.7% of enrollment, in Manistee, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy rank among schools in Manistee?
By Resource Investment Index, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in Manistee, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Manistee on the city page.
Is Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy a good school?
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy?
None; Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is a single-school charter district, and Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is its only campus.
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.