Enrollment
1,104
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rockwood, MI
Oscar a Carlson High School
Federal NCES profile for Oscar a Carlson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261587005236
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Oscar a Carlson High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Rockwood · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 28.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Oscar a Carlson High School has class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Oscar a Carlson High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Rockwood, MI.
School address
District: Gibraltar School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261587005236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Oscar a Carlson High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Oscar a Carlson High School
Oscar a Carlson High School is a large high school in Rockwood, Michigan, enrolling 1,104 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Michigan schools and 23% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,104 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 203 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 368 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Gibraltar School District also operates Shumate Middle School (839 students) and Chapman Elementary School (434 students) alongside Oscar a Carlson High 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 Oscar a Carlson High School compares
Oscar a Carlson High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.8% | ▼ 47% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,104 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,104
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Michigan - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$12,265
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 368 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 79.6%
African American 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Oscar a Carlson High School is about as mixed as the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gibraltar School District, which includes Oscar a Carlson High School.
$12,265
Per student
-9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 66.2%
Federal 9.8%
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 Oscar a Carlson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shumate Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chapman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parsons Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hunter Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frank E Weiss Elem School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Oscar a Carlson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 285
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~1,104 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Oscar a Carlson High School's federal record.
- Compare Oscar a Carlson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Gibraltar School District'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 Oscar a Carlson High School
How many students attend Oscar a Carlson High School?
Oscar a Carlson High School has 1,104 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rockwood, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Oscar a Carlson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Oscar a Carlson High School is 21.6:1, which is 23% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Oscar a Carlson High School?
28.8% of students at Oscar a Carlson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Oscar a Carlson High School?
The largest demographic group at Oscar a Carlson High School is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Rockwood, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Oscar a Carlson High School?
Oscar a Carlson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Oscar a Carlson High School rank among public schools in Rockwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Oscar a Carlson High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Rockwood, 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 Rockwood on the city page.
Is Oscar a Carlson High School a good school?
Oscar a Carlson High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Gibraltar School District?
Besides Oscar a Carlson High School, Gibraltar School District also operates Shumate Middle School (839 students), Chapman Elementary School (434 students), and Parsons Elementary School (418 students). See the Gibraltar School District 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.