Enrollment
49
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dowagiac, MI
Pathfinders Alternative Ed
Federal NCES profile for Pathfinders Alternative Ed, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261215004920
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pathfinders Alternative Ed earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Dowagiac · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 92.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pathfinders Alternative Ed has class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinders Alternative Ed ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI.
School address
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004920 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pathfinders Alternative Ed compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pathfinders Alternative Ed
Pathfinders Alternative Ed is a high-poverty, small high school in Dowagiac, Michigan, enrolling 49 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Michigan schools and 40% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 92.1% of students qualify for free meals, 70% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Michigan schools, with 49 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 42 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students) and Dowagiac Middle School (393 students) alongside Pathfinders Alternative Ed.
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 Pathfinders Alternative Ed compares
Pathfinders Alternative Ed on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.5:1 | ▲ 40% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.1% | ▲ 70% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 49 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
49
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 93% in Michigan - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,021
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat 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 + 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 57.1%
Two or More 18.4%
African American 12.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Largest group: White at 57.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Pathfinders Alternative Ed is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dowagiac Union School District, which includes Pathfinders Alternative Ed.
$14,021
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.7%
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 Pathfinders Alternative Ed Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dowagiac Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Justus Gage Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Patrick Hamilton Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kincheloe Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pathfinders Alternative Ed's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~49 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pathfinders Alternative Ed's federal record.
- Compare Pathfinders Alternative Ed against another school. Compare schools
- Dowagiac Union 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 Pathfinders Alternative Ed
How many students attend Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed has 49 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dowagiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
The student-teacher ratio at Pathfinders Alternative Ed is 24.5:1, which is 40% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
92.1% of students at Pathfinders Alternative Ed are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
The largest demographic group at Pathfinders Alternative Ed is White at 57.1% of enrollment, in Dowagiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pathfinders Alternative Ed rank among public schools in Dowagiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinders Alternative Ed ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, 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 Dowagiac on the city page.
Is Pathfinders Alternative Ed a good school?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Dowagiac Union School District?
Besides Pathfinders Alternative Ed, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Union High School (507 students), Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), and Justus Gage Elementary School (262 students). See the Dowagiac Union 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.