Enrollment
992
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pontiac, MI
Pontiac High School
Federal NCES profile for Pontiac High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262874006444
👥 S:T ratio 19
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pontiac High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #6 of 11
- public schools in Pontiac · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 72.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pontiac High School has class sizes larger than 81% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pontiac High School ranks #6 of 11 public schools in Pontiac, MI.
School address
District: Pontiac City School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262874006444 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pontiac High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pontiac High School
Pontiac High School is a higher-need, large high school in Pontiac, Michigan, enrolling 992 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 95% of state schools at 992 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and African American (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pontiac City School District spends $18,379 per pupil, 36% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 241 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 992 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Pontiac's high schools, it stands alongside Tier Iii Intervention Academy (7 students): Pontiac High School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac Middle School (790 students) and Whitman Elementary School (611 students) alongside Pontiac 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 Pontiac High School compares
Pontiac 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.3% | ▲ 33% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 992 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
992
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 81% in Michigan - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
79.2%
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
$18,379
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 241 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 54.0%
African American 35.8%
White 4.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, Pontiac High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pontiac City School District, which includes Pontiac High School.
$18,379
Per student
+36%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.2%
State 16.3%
Federal 28.5%
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 Pontiac High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Owen Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alcott School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Herrington School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pontiac High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 37.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in Pontiac
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~992 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pontiac High School's federal record.
- Compare Pontiac High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pontiac City 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 Pontiac High School
How many students attend Pontiac High School?
Pontiac High School has 992 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pontiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pontiac High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pontiac High School is 20.2:1, which is 15% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pontiac High School?
72.3% of students at Pontiac High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pontiac High School?
The largest demographic group at Pontiac High School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.0% of enrollment, in Pontiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pontiac High School?
Pontiac High School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pontiac High School rank among public schools in Pontiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Pontiac High School ranks #6 of 11 public schools in Pontiac, 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 Pontiac on the city page.
Is Pontiac High School a good school?
Pontiac High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Pontiac City School District?
Besides Pontiac High School, Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac Middle School (790 students), Whitman Elementary School (611 students), and Owen Elementary School (383 students). See the Pontiac City 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.