Enrollment
199
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Montrose, MI
Montrose Alternative Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Montrose Alternative Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262442001827
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montrose Alternative Education Center earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Montrose · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 49.8:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 68.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Montrose Alternative Education Center has class sizes larger than 99% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montrose Alternative Education Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Montrose, MI.
School address
District: Montrose Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262442001827 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
49.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+185% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montrose Alternative Education Center compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montrose Alternative Education Center
Montrose Alternative Education Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Montrose, Michigan, enrolling 199 students.
Class loads run heavy: 49.8:1 is larger than about 99% of Michigan schools and 185% 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 68.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 199 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.
Among 312 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Montrose Community Schools also operates Hillmccloy High School (449 students) and Kuehnhaven Middle School (420 students) alongside Montrose Alternative Education Center.
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 Montrose Alternative Education Center compares
Montrose Alternative Education Center on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 49.8:1 | ▲ 185% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.0% | ▲ 25% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 199 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
49.8:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
199
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
49.8:1
students per teacher
- 185% above state mean
Top 99% in Michigan - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
1.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,452
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 + 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 93.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
African American 1.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: White at 93.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.2, Montrose Alternative Education Center is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montrose Community Schools, which includes Montrose Alternative Education Center.
$12,452
Per student
-8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 69.0%
Federal 15.4%
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 Montrose Alternative Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillmccloy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kuehnhaven Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carter Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montrose Alternative Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~199 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montrose Alternative Education Center's federal record.
- Compare Montrose Alternative Education Center against another school. Compare schools
- Montrose 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 Montrose Alternative Education Center
How many students attend Montrose Alternative Education Center?
Montrose Alternative Education Center has 199 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Montrose, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montrose Alternative Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Montrose Alternative Education Center is 49.8:1, which is 185% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 217% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Montrose Alternative Education Center?
68.0% of students at Montrose Alternative Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montrose Alternative Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Montrose Alternative Education Center is White at 93.0% of enrollment, in Montrose, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montrose Alternative Education Center?
Montrose Alternative Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Montrose Alternative Education Center rank among schools in Montrose?
By Resource Investment Index, Montrose Alternative Education Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Montrose, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Montrose on the city page.
Is Montrose Alternative Education Center a good school?
Montrose Alternative Education Center earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Montrose Community Schools?
Besides Montrose Alternative Education Center, Montrose Community Schools also operates Hillmccloy High School (449 students), Kuehnhaven Middle School (420 students), and Carter Elementary School (367 students). See the Montrose 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.