Enrollment
15
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Vassar, MI
Pioneer Work and Learn Center
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Work and Learn Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263471000275
👥 S:T ratio 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Work and Learn Center earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Michigan.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Vassar · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 95.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Work and Learn Center has class sizes smaller than 97% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Work and Learn Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vassar, MI.
School address
District: Vassar Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263471000275 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-71% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Work and Learn Center compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Work and Learn Center
Pioneer Work and Learn Center is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Vassar, Michigan, enrolling 15 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5:1, Pioneer Work and Learn Center is leaner than roughly 97% of Michigan schools and 71% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 95.9% of students qualify for free meals, 77% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Michigan schools, with 15 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and White (33%) (diversity index 44/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Vassar Public Schools also operates Vassar Senior High School (427 students) and Central School (366 students) alongside Pioneer Work and Learn 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 Pioneer Work and Learn Center compares
Pioneer Work and Learn 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 | 5:1 | ▼ 71% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.9% | ▲ 77% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 15 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
15
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
5:1
students per teacher
- 71% below state mean
Top 3% in Michigan - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,541
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
African American 66.7%
White 33.3%
Largest group: African American at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.4, Pioneer Work and Learn Center is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vassar Public Schools, which includes Pioneer Work and Learn Center.
$14,541
Per student
+8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.4%
State 63.0%
Federal 16.5%
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 Pioneer Work and Learn Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Work and Learn Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~15 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Work and Learn Center's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Work and Learn Center against another school. Compare schools
- Vassar Public 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 Pioneer Work and Learn Center
How many students attend Pioneer Work and Learn Center?
Pioneer Work and Learn Center has 15 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Vassar, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Work and Learn Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Work and Learn Center is 5:1, which is 71% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 68% 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 Pioneer Work and Learn Center?
95.9% of students at Pioneer Work and Learn Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Work and Learn Center?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Work and Learn Center is African American at 66.7% of enrollment, in Vassar, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Work and Learn Center?
Pioneer Work and Learn Center has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher 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 Pioneer Work and Learn Center rank among public schools in Vassar?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Work and Learn Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vassar, 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 Vassar on the city page.
Is Pioneer Work and Learn Center a good school?
Pioneer Work and Learn Center earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Vassar Public Schools?
Besides Pioneer Work and Learn Center, Vassar Public Schools also operates Vassar Senior High School (427 students) and Central School (366 students). See the Vassar Public 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.